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Showing posts with label home decor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home decor. Show all posts

2.05.2025

WINTER: Scrap Paper Hearts Wreath

winter,Valentine's Day,paper crafts,vintage paper,diy decorating,DIY,home decor,colorful home,trash to treasure,up-cycling,re-purposed,wreaths,wall art,tutorial,hometalk,crafting,scrap paper hearts wreath
In a bit of a coincidence, I was notified on Wednesday that one of my past project posts for Valentine's Day decor would be featured on Thursday in the HomeTalk daily email and on social media... and that project just happens to be the original version of the one in this post, which I scheduled for Friday! I bumped it to publish a *bit* earlier, so I could link this new version to the original post that the HomeTalk link will lead to.

I offer a warm welcome to all of you who are visiting from HomeTalk!

As my beloved regular readers know, I love 'making something out of nothing'. In other words, turning the contents of my trash + recycle bins into seasonal home decor accents. Making my own decor this way costs me nothing, is a fun exercise in creativity, and gives me no guilt at all when I disassemble and re-use elements from one project to another!

Let me show you how I turned scraps into Valentine's Day home decor ...

1.10.2025

WINTER: a stylish & EASY taper candle tip

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I've decided to focus on very simple projects this month, sharing a few tips that will quickly and easily impact your decor as you warm up your winter homes.

This particular tip isn't mine - it originated with a very special shopkeeper, entertaining guru, visual stylist, decorator, and author who has been inspiring me for decades now: Ted Kennedy Watson (no, we're not related!).

Ted owns two stores in Seattle - Watson Kennedy Fine Living on Pine Avenue (across from Pike Place Market), and Watson Kennedy Fine Home on First Avenue. Both stores boast a wealth of beautiful items to enjoy in your decor and entertaining, and the displays Ted creates in the shops and the window displays are absolutely some of the best I've ever seen. I could (and did) spend hours taking in every detail in both shops during the 18 years I lived in Washington.

This particular stylist's 'trick' is SO easy - and by adding just one little detail, it makes a huge difference!

continue reading to see HOW easy...

1.03.2025

WINTER . make a simple rosemary wreath

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the Christmas decor is all packed away! whew.
now i'm enjoying a slow, calm 'ease into the new year' approach: simple changes, adjustments, and routines that give my creative mind space to wander (and wonder!) without stressing out as i keep up with my responsibilities. 


the simple rosemary wreath project that i am sharing today is something that can made in just minutes and with very little effort. (i don't know about you, but i LOVE easy DIY projects!) let me show you how easy and simply charming this project is - and how you can make it even if you don't have an herb garden.

continue reading for tutorial...

12.31.2024

2024 WRAPPED!

homeward found decor,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,home decor,seasonal,re-purposed,up-cycling,trash to treasure,published,tutorial,creativity,Sweet Sweater Originals, 2024 WRAPPED,debs favorite projects.
as the holiday season comes to a close
and we are poised on the brink of a new year,
i'm taking stock of 2024 with a quick look back
at stats for the blog and my social media accounts.

as part of that, i want to share my favorite projects from the past year...
let's call it 'homeward found WRAPPED' (like Spotify ;) 

continue reading to see my favorites from 2024...

12.27.2024

our 'CHOSEN' Christmas tree

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Christmas Day is over...
and i hope you're kicking back in your pj's,
enjoying this delightful limbo
 between Christmas and New Year's Day.
(after all, who really knows what day it is?)

 as i indulge in as much laziness as i can muster,
i thought i'd share this year's Christmas tree decor - 
some elements i've had for years, others i made just for this theme.
it's.... different. not what most people would do.
(anyone out there surprised by this?!!)
the theme and elements fit into our tropically decorated home
and also speaks to our 'reason for the season'...

continue reading for more details...

10.31.2024

happy halloGREEN!

pumpkins,Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,foofoo Faux Food,painting,tutorial,DIY,diy decorating,fall,autumn,seasonal,Halloween,colorful home,home decor,ping pong paddle pumpkins,caramel apple pumpkins,fake pumpkin cake,shroomkins,
( you had to have known that was coming! )
it's Halloween day, and no one is reading blog posts...
but i thought i'd put this up, anyway, 
to give my green pumpkins one last bit of the spotlight.

it's been fun creating new versions of past projects
along with completely new original pumpkins this fall...

continue reading for a quick recap and links to all project tutorials

10.24.2024

NEW! Faux Pumpkin Cake

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yes, Deb loves sweets - edible or not!
and since Halloween is all about the treats,
i just make my own calorie-free versions -
like faux caramel apple pumpkins and this faux pumpkin cake.

in trying to finish up my yearly 'pumpkin palooza' projects,
i had an idea for a pumpkin slathered with frosting to look like a cake,
but wasn't sure if i could make it look the way i wanted it to...

after searching online for images of 'pumpkin shaped cakes'
(click here to see what came up). 
i was scrolling Instagram and saw THIS:

but WAIT - that's not a cake. it's EMBROIDERED fabric!
artist Heather Rios is INSANELY talented at making fake look real.
she shares her astounding works of art on Insta at @heather_rios_arte

Heather's idea of showing the inside of the 'cake' 
impacted and changed my original plan -
and made me reach for a particular material in my stash
to approximate the texture she gets in her artwork.

continue reading to see how it all came together!

9.26.2024

Make My Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins + Succulents!

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every autumn, i get a huge uptick in blog traffic
searching for my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin tutorial.

they're a fun bit of seasonal decor that i am proud of creating back in 2007,
they've been published in major shelter magazines a few times,
and i love that people want to make their own versions of my babies!

every year i make new versions of them, and create a new post
just to make it easier for the tutorial to be found.
and yes, this year, i have green pumpkins!
but i didn't make them this year... i RE-made them.
because they weren't originally pumpkins...

back in 2019, i created my Original Sweet Sweater Succulents,
using my 2007 Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin method...
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this year, i've made two simple changes to them
to turn them into pumpkins!

continue reading to see how easy this was...
and for links to both tutorials. 

9.12.2024

'Shroomkins, Take 2!

seasonal,home decor,DIY,diy decorating,tutorial,inspired by nature,re-purposed,up-cycling,project makeovers,'shroomkins,green mushrooms.
how many times have you stared into a seasonal decor storage bin
and thought "This stuff just isn't ME anymore"?? it happens to all of us!
preferences and style change over time,
but that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune on new decor.

this year, i'm giving some of my existing fall decor elements
a new look that fits my current style - without spending any money.
i'm calling this approach 'Take 2'!

i first made these fun " 'shroomkins" back in 2022
by cutting styro pumpkins in half and adding stems made from pool noodles.
and of course, i painted them yellow back then:

seasonal,home decor,DIY,diy decorating,tutorial,inspired by nature,re-purposed,up-cycling,project makeovers,'shroomkins,green mushrooms.
then i used my photo editing program to show them in other hues:



now, two years later and in my 'green era' (Deb's Version ;) ) 
i wanted to give them a new look. enter 'Take 2'!

continue reading for details of the new version...

9.05.2024

Easy Yarn & Twine Pumpkins

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fall has not yet 'fallen' here in Southern California,
 but it's definitely pumpkin season for me!

first up, i'm sharing this incredibly easy way
to turn everyday items into pumpkins for your autumn decor...
these were made using yarn / twine skeins and thread spools.

i've embellished them a bit using elements
that go along with the 'sewing/knitting supply' theme
because i just can't leave well enough alone - 
yet there is NO sewing or knitting needed for this project!

continue reading to see how to make these in just minutes...

8.22.2024

going green (in every way) with my fall decor

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fall is coming....

yes, that sounds ominous to me! maybe to you, too.
as hot as it has been in So Cal this summer,
i'm enjoying long days of being off the grid.
i'm not remotely ready for it to end.

but that encroaching seasonal change is motivating me!
so i've been giving some thought to this year's autumn theme
for my projects and content,
and i've come up with a plan that i can live with...

<<< continue reading

8.15.2024

Published Again! Farmhouse Style Magazine

fall,autumn,DIY,diy decorating,home decor,Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Magazine,published,re-purposing,up-cycling,wall art,farmhouse style,
another of my diy home decor projects is included in
the Fall 2024 Issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Magazine...

the pegrack / coatrack that we made
using a vintage porch post, cut in half lengthwise before we bought it,
is part of the 'Architectural Adaptations' feature in this issue,
with a special mention of the unique hooks on ours.

continue reading to see a peek from the magazine
AND a few different ways i've styled this feature...

8.08.2024

Published! Farmhouse Style Magazine Fall Issue

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after a prolonged summer break, i'm back to share some happy news:
a new version of my original 'glass globe pumpkins' has been published!

you'll find the new versions above in the Fall 2024 Issue
of Country Sampler's Farmhouse Style Magazine

continue reading for a peek at the magazine
and an easy tutorial for making your own versions...

5.31.2024

easy upcycle: spice bottle bud vase

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one last post before i take a break for the month of june...
 this 'discovery' came one DAY after my last blog post,
which was all about using bottles as flower vases. 
(i'm consistently a day late to the party)

this project will be a perfect way to enjoy our roses all summer long!

continue reading for an easy-peasy upcycle diy...

5.24.2024

easy summer decor: all bottled up!

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Memorial Day Weekend is here (in the States, anyway)
and that means it's time for the big 'summer kickoff'...

the project i'm sharing today is a re-do and throw-back
to some of my patriotic red, white and blue summer decor from the past
(i've linked that below this post)
but the new version fits my current 'green era' obsession.
 it's another 'throw it together in a minute' decor trick
that can be replicated in SO many ways on a table, mantel, bookshelf, and more. 

'summerizing' your living spaces is an easy way to embrace the season...
quick additions of simple elements will change the feel of your home!

continue reading to see a few of the ways i've used glass bottles...

5.03.2024

welcome to an epic crafting fail. and a fix!

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prepare yourselves, friends... 
this project was actually going to be included as a photo prop in my 'posie pots' post.
and then everything that COULD go wrong WENT wrong.

so it wasn't included, and it's taken some time and effort
to reverse the damage and proceed with the project as intended.
ah, the joys of creating LOL! this is what you DON'T see on social media!

i've decided to feature it in its very own post
because this stuff happens - and for those who don't create a lot all the time,
it's helpful to know that 'ruined' does not equal 'toss it in the bin'.
there's usually always a way to save a project gone wrong!

continue reading to see the before, the scary during, and the after...

4.05.2024

NEW: Sweet Sweater Sprouts!

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i know. i said that i really wanted to create seasonal home decor that wasn't CUTE. 
but my muses keep giving me ideas for CUTE projects. 
at THREE in the morning. sigh.
the muses have no regard for our schedules -
 they want what they want WHEN they want it.
so when deb can't sleep, deb sketches. and the muses inspire.

and so, i proudly present
my NEWEST 'Sweet Sweater Original' creation: 'Sprouts'!

perfect for springtime and cute as can be,
these lil' guys make me smile. and they couldn't be easier to create...
continue reading for my tutorial!

4.01.2024

it's time to talk about my pot addiction.

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no, that post title ISN'T an April Fools Day joke -
and it doesn't mean what you THINK It means!
in case you haven't noticed, i just love terra cotta pots!
they are such a versatile decorative element...
i can ALWAYS find a way to use them, in every season:

gather them on a platter or in a crate, sit them on a miniature chair,
add a little moss, tuck in a blooming primrose or tulip (fake is okay!),
dome them under glass, set the table with them,
make mushrooms out of them, turn them into Christmas decor,
and generally use them in ways they were never intended to be used!
i don't think i'll ever run out of ideas...

there was this ONE incident, however, that launched me into
the terra cotta pot stratosphere...

3.22.2024

create a living nest

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i thought this project up months ago and am so happy to finally share it!
this 'living nest' idea was spurred by a photo i saw online:
my thought was, why not take the 'living wreath' topiary
and turn it on its side?! would it resemble a nest?

so then i had to experiment a bit to see if that idea would work out in reality. 
continue reading to see how it did!

3.15.2024

easy-peasy twine nest

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i dropped a ball of twine on the floor in my studio, it unraveled...
and this nest was the result!

i love it when something happens that makes me look at a material
in a new way, with a new use in a new seasonal accent.
and this one couldn't have been easier!

wanna' turn a ball of dollar store twine into a nest in less than five minutes?
continue reading!