my FAVE winter decor projects

all of the Christmas decor is packed up, and i've been thinking about winter decorating
and all of the many ways i've 'warmed up' my homes every winter over the years...
 some of those projects have been successful several times in more than one home

as i re-create them in new versions + colorways.

over the past ten years of blogging here at homeward found decor,

i've shared hundreds of my original diy home decor projects

in 733 posts since i launched this blog in August 2012.

if you've been reading my blog for the past decade, THANK YOU FRIENDS!

if you're new here, i hope you enjoy discovering some of my past creations

as i share a look back... 

continue reading for some of my FAVE winter decor projects!

a sweet 'gingerbread' creche & nativity

for me, Christmas is not just about decorating or food or gifts...

it's about the birth of Jesus.

so each year, i either bring out my childhood nativity set

or create a new rendition of a creche scene that coordinates with my theme.

this year, i reworked the simple nativity scene that i created last year,

and added a new element that reflects my 'gingerbread' theme.

while the nativity figures would certainly work without the creche,

i like the way it focuses attention onto the holy family.

continue reading for the details of how i made it...

gingerbread theme Christmas tree

i have always enjoyed using what i have and mixing it up differently

to create new themes & looks each holiday season.

and while i don't have nearly as many bins of ornaments & elements as i once did

(over fifty JUST for Christmas! now it's about 10)

i still pull from my stash each year and then make / makeover some elements.

continuing the 'Gingerbread Holiday' theme this year,

 the tree in my studio is decorated with elements and materials on hand

to tell the story of a snowy gingerbread village.

keep reading to see how it all came together

and a few of my tree decorating tips...

words of Thanksgiving wall art

time for a BONUS POST!
i just had to fit this one in before Thanksgiving...

here's a 'fast, cheap, & easy' last-minute decor idea
that will add a touch of personalized meaning to your celebration
( and might just help to keep the kids busy, too! )

make word art to decorate your front door or entry wall

all it takes is a word program, paper, a printer, 

and some interesting 'frames' to display the completed word art...

diy tomato cage cornucopia

one of the enduring traditions of Thanksgiving is the familiar image of a cornucopia.

also known as the 'horn of plenty', this cone-shaped basket (originally an animal's horn)

laden with an abundance of harvested food in fall

reminds us of the many ways we are provided for on this earth.

i had an element on hand that i knew would be perfect

for transforming into a cornucopia for our Thanksgiving decor,

and boy does it make an impact!

continue reading for my not-so-easy diy tutorial and detailed photos...

realistic paper leaf tutorial

dearest readers, i'm not ready for the holidays yet.
i get to this point every year, and struggle with it. why??
i feel like i need to keep up with the popular bloggers and influencers
and start posting holiday / Christmas content earlier every year.
but... i can't do it. i honestly can't. my brain revolts against it.

after spending 45 years as a retail visual merchandiser / designer / stylist
and pushing every season months beforehand,
i want to just enjoy the season i'm IN. that inspires my creativity!
and it's one of the reasons i started this blog a decade ago.

so here we are on November 1st and Deb is not even dipping a toe into Christmas decor.
instead, i'm gonna' share some simple ways to decorate your home this month,
for Thanksgiving, for Friendsgiving, for the fall season. 
because if you're looking at this the way i am, we can just enjoy this month
and the chance to embrace the lovely autumn atmosphere
before the holiday hullaballoo kicks in!

so - grab some scissors, some scrap paper in a color you love, and a branch from your yard,
and let me show you how to craft some pretty paper leaves in a jiffy...

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...

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...

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!

faux painted 'kintsugi' easter eggs

last fall, when i created my faux painted 'kintsugi' pumpkins,

i knew they were just a 'practice project'...

because i always envisioned that paint treatment on eggs, for Easter.

honestly, i couldn't be happier with the results!

this is a simple paint treatment with elegant results,

one that can be applied to any type of egg - paper, ceramic, wood, glass, or real eggs.

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

my sweet sweater birthday cake!

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...

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...

repurposed planter 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!

paint + paper picture frame pumpkins

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...

NEW! Sweet Sweater Spookies!

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...