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

3.01.2022

my sweet sweater birthday cake!

sweaters,Sweet Sweater Slice,foofoo Faux Food,Sweet Sweater Originals,Sweet Sweater Cake,spring,diy decorating,DIY,decorating,entertaining,celebrations,re-purposed,up-cycling,home decor,birthday cake,faux birthday cake,sweater crafts,yellow,happy birthday
hello, friends!
i've been enjoying my sabbatical over the past month and a half,
and have made a MAJOR dent in my very long and very overlooked 'To Do' list!
(such as: get my truck running again  get some appliance repairs done   
get some yard work done  buy a new mattress to help my back pain )

since it's March 1st, the beginning of my birthday month,
it seems a perfect time to return to the blog and share a recent project with you!

* this post was created in mid-February and scheduled for March 1.
given the world events that transpired in the last week of February,
 i actually thought very seriously about not publishing it, 
 seeming too frivolous a subject to focus on in light of reality.

 i have decided to publish it, in the hope that anyone who sees it
will be reminded that there are still things to celebrate in this world
even in the midst of darkness and conflict. *

as much as i love to bake (and eat) sweet things,
i decided that my birthday cake this year needed to be a bit different...
you know it wouldn't be a birthday cake for ME unless it was made of sweaters, right?!
(my waistline and thighs appreciate the total lack of calories in this one ;) ) 

continue reading to find out the unusual way this fun decor came to be...

10.22.2021

harvest moon shadow box

art,wall art,paper,paper crafts,pumpkins,Halloween,fall,DIY,diy decorating,home decor,thrifted,re-purposed,up-cycling,trash to treasure,dollar store crafts,fall home decor,Halloween home decor,Halloween decorating,haunted village mantel display,shadowbox art,Halloween shadowbox, miniatures.
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...

10.15.2021

repurposed planter pumpkins

pumpkins,outdoors,seasonal,fall,DIY,diy decorating,home decor,neutrals,farmhouse style,Halloween,junk makeover,trash to treasure,re-purposed,thrifted,up-cycling,garden art,salvaged,painting,fall home decor,Halloween decor,Halloween home decor,Halloween decorating, pumpkin decor,decorating with pumpkins,plant pot 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!

10.12.2021

paint + paper picture frame pumpkins

art,wall art,Halloween,fall,home decor,DIY,diy decorating,painting,re-purposed,thrifted,up-cycling,paper,paper crafts,pumpkins,Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,neutrals,white,farmhouse style,trash to treasure,Halloween home decor, Halloween decorating,pumpkin decor, decorating with pumpkins,trash to treasure pumpins,junk pumpkins,painted pumpkins,black and white Halloween decor.
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...

10.04.2021

NEW! Sweet Sweater Spookies!

fall,Halloween,Sweet Sweater Originals,sweet sweater spookies,re-purposed,up-cycling,trash to treasure,salvaged,junk makeover,tablescapes,entertaining,just for fun,home decor,DIY,diy decorating,crafting with sweaters,Halloween decor,cute ghosties for Halloween,cute Halloween decor,use what you have decorating,sweater weather.
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...

10.01.2021

'dipped' faux concrete pumpkins

faux finish,farmhouse style,home decor,thrifted,colorful home,diy decorating,Thanksgiving,,fall,DIY,painting,boho style,Halloween,fall home decor,decorating with pumpkins,pumpkin decorating,painted pumpkins,faux concrete painting tutorial
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!

9.28.2021

gradient pumpkins

faux finish,farmhouse style,home decor,thrifted,colorful home,diy decorating,Thanksgiving,Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,fall,DIY,painting,boho style,Halloween,fall home decor,decorating with pumpkins,pumpkin decorating,painted pumpkins,color spectrum decor.
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...

9.24.2021

salvaged silver pumpkin coach

fall,DIY,diy decorating,re-purposed,up-cycling,salvaged,thrifted,home decor,pumpkins,Thanksgiving,Halloween,junk makeover,trash to treasure,vintage,vintage style,farmhouse style,fall decorating,fall home decor,decorating with pumpkins,salvaged pumpkins,junk pumpkins,upcycled pumpkins,repurposed pumpkins.
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!

9.21.2021

salvaged silver tray pumpkins

fall,DIY,diy decorating,re-purposed,up-cycling,salvaged,thrifted,home decor,pumpkins,Thanksgiving,Halloween,junk makeover,trash to treasure,vintage,vintage style,farmhouse style,wall art,wreaths,fall decorating,fall home decor,decorating with pumpkins,salvaged pumpkins,junk pumpkins,upcycled pumpkins,repurposed 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!

9.07.2021

floral painted pumpkins

faux finish, farmhouse style, thrifted, diy decorating, Thanksgiving, pumpkins, fall, DIY, painting, boho style,neutrals, painting, colorful home,  garden art, fall, fall decorating, fall decor, pumpkins, pumpkin decor, pumpkin decorating, painted pumpkins, home decor, decorating, autumn decor, thanksgiving decor, thanksgiving, october decor, november decor, chinoiserie painted pumpkins, toile painted pumpkins, blue and white painted pumpkins, brown toile, neutral home decor, fall leaves, fall florals, fall trends 2021.
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:
faux finish, farmhouse style, thrifted, diy decorating, Thanksgiving, pumpkins, fall, DIY, painting, boho style,neutrals, painting, colorful home,  garden art, fall, fall decorating, fall decor, pumpkins, pumpkin decor, pumpkin decorating, painted pumpkins, home decor, decorating, autumn decor, thanksgiving decor, thanksgiving, october decor, november decor, chinoiserie painted pumpkins, toile painted pumpkins, blue and white painted pumpkins, brown toile, neutral home decor, fall leaves, fall florals, fall trends 2021.
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...

4.22.2013

Happy Earth Day - Every Day!

Those of us who create using reclaimed & recycled materials  
observe Earth Day EVERY day!
It's fun to know that we are not only helping to keep the planet 'green' and healthy,
 but we are preserving parts of history by not sending architectural salvage to the landfill.

shows,DIY,vintage,decorating,style,antiques,inspiration,FREE,home decor,diy decorating,salvaged,trash to treasure,re-purposing,up-cycling,wall art,vintage style,farmhouse style,retreat vintage home,vintage shows,antique shows,show booth design.
As I was arranging the frames for the presentation that I shared about in my post yesterday,
I remembered a similar project that I created, using old window frames.

They were used in several arrangements as props inside our Retreat Home booths
at vintage shows in 2010...

Basically, I just hung varied sizes and styles of old window frames
[both with and without glass in them]
at varied heights and levels from the booth frame, using wire,
to create an overhead 3-D composition.


Giant chandeliers completed the look and added sparkle!

You can see in the photos above that the window elements
can be arranged differently in each setting - 
in this case, vendor booths at three different shows - 
and yet the message or theme remains the same.

Windows are also pretty cheap at salvage stores, garage sales, and on Craigslist!

This idea is easily adapted to a 2-D wall arrangement
using old windows, frames, mirrors, shutters, crates, palettes....
any kind of salvage with character.

btw, that 'baby grand piano' in some of the shots above?
it's a bar. and it ended up in a magazine!

photos above taken by and property of Debi Ward Kennedy (me!)
of my RETREAThome (my previous home furnishing & decor business) booths
at the Farm Chicks, Barn House, and UrbanBarn antique / vintage shows in 2010.


many thanks to HOMEBNC for including this post in their 2021 summer decor feature
40+ Old Window Outdoor Decor Ideas

shows,DIY,vintage,decorating,style,antiques,inspiration,FREE,home decor,diy decorating,salvaged,trash to treasure,re-purposing,up-cycling,wall art,vintage style,farmhouse style,retreat vintage home,vintage shows,antique shows,show booth design.