ornaments... not just for trees

so usually, the BIG DEAL in a post on holiday decor is the Christmas tree.
sorry to disappoint, friends, but THIS is the tree that we ended up with.
my severe back pain limited my mobility and strength to the point where i knew
that i couldn't wrestle our normal 9' tree into the house and set it up. no way.

instead, i grabbed my little 4' white pre-lit tree that usually goes in my office/studio,
and a bar-height round table served to elevate it up to a decent height in the living room.
a vintage chenille bedspread served as a combination tablecloth/tree skirt,
and a slight few ornaments filled in the branches. and that was fine.
(it can't always be a big reveal, especially when one's health is at stake!)

but what was i supposed to do with ALL of the other ornaments
that normally fill our regular 9' tree?!

'continue reading' to see how i used some of them...

faux wood 'junk' trees

 this is not a collection of trees made from wood. nope.
it's a collection of trees made from wood-printed PAPER! 

'continue reading' to see more details of this easy and kid-friendly craft
that can be made with new or reclaimed materials -
a simple, inexpensive way to get a 'junk project' look for your holiday & winter decor!

sweet sweater... trees!

yep, i found something ELSE to use sweaters for!
( no, this isn't my original idea - i've seen some really darling colorful ones on the 'net! )
but this is ME, queen of sweaterdom, so i had to try to make my own versions of them...
and i like the simple, warm look!

'continue reading' for this super-simple holiday & winter decor project
made with thrifted / upcycled sweaters...

frosted fall leaves tutorial

"autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower..." ~ Albert Camus

that's one of my favorite quotes about autumn.
i saw something the other day that caused that poetic line to spring to my mind:

isn't it pretty? i love the 'fall-into-winter' feel of the leaves shown here.
this image on writer Ann Voskamp's website inspired me to create
my own 'frosted fall leaves' for a simple Thanksgiving tablescape...
it's a really easy project, and it turned out perfectly.

continue reading for the easy tutorial if you need a last-minute Thanksgiving idea
that won't take much time at all...

fall picnic: a movable feast

Fall is the perfect time of year for a picnic...
enjoying an alfresco meal that is elegant and fancy, plain and simple, or somewhere in the middle.
Keeping basic elements needed for a picnic ready to go in a basket or tote
makes it easy to enjoy a last-minute trip
to enjoy sunset on the beach or a temperate day at the local park...
Don't let the fact that summer is over keep you inside!

...continue reading to see just how easy it can be to create a Movable Feast!

a fall wreath-hanging secret!

 September has arrived, along with a refreshing cool front ('only' 91 degrees here this weekend!)

suddenly i found myself in a fall mood, ready to change up the front porch decor...

in true 'homewardFOUND' fashion, i started rooting around the garage to see what was on hand.

and in the process, i found something we bought back in JANUARY - and promptly forgot about.

we had a purpose in mind back then, but when i pulled it out of a box on Friday, 

i immediately came up with a completely different way to use it. 

(which is really no surprise to any of you, i am sure!)

there's a hint in the photo above, and when you continue reading, you'll see it!

easy 5 minute fall tablescape

ever get one of those calls: "hi! we're in your area and thought we'd stop by..." ???
panic ensues, right? a whirlwind of activity starts the minute you hang up the phone:

throw the messes into the dishwasher and dryer and garage.

peer into the freezer to see if there's something you can whip up to feed guests.

clear the table of papers and projects and.... the TABLE! oh dear.

it's easy to pull something together quickly for a pretty tablescape...

continue reading to see what i pulled off in five short minutes a few days ago!

refresh those dried topiaries!

years ago, i unearthed these two identical topiaries at the bottom of a thrift store bin.

i actually pulled on the first one because i saw the brass urn shape - never expecting anything to be attached.

when i saw the TOPS of the topiaries, i was underwhelmed.
however, i eyed them with my 'well, MAYBE they could be SOMETHING' look, 

and paid the whopping 50 cents each to take them home. 

the photo above was taken in one of my booths at a vintage show, 

where those two cheap topiaries (after a blow-dry cleaning and a bit of 'fluffing') sold for $12. EACH.

one man's trash, right?!!! it's easy to turn junk into decor!

.

i see dried up and worn out topiaries all the time, and chances are you might HAVE one - 

so i thought i'd share some easy tips with you for 'refreshing' them.

continue reading for details...

summer's not over yet!

it's the last month of summer - no, it aint' over yet!!!

while it's still warm and sunny, why not invite friends, family, and neighbors over
to enjoy good food and hospitality... and easy summertime style.

simply combine vintage and new dishes & glassware,

along with some vacation souvenirs, found objects, and stuff you have around the house.
in no time at all, you'll be back on the beach! 

continue reading to see my easy tips for creating a stunning summer tablescape...

easy canvas awning valance

we decided that the window treatments in our home would be simple and coordinated -

nothing heavy or complex to make the rooms feel closed in.

so white wood blinds went up first for privacy and sun control 

then simple side panels made of canvas dropcloths that fall from floor to ceiling,

adding softness to the hard edges.

when it came to the kitchen window, i needed something different.

and though i STILL haven't found the vintage metal awning i really want for this space,

i came up with a solution that gives the window style in the meantime...

continue reading to see how easy this faux awning valance was to make!

a found & foraged flag

you know, i love decorating with red white and blue
just as much as the next patriotic American... but... 

what if i don't want to use red and blue in my home, 

and want to stick with white + warm neutrals?

well... i found a way to do exactly that, and still have a focus on the flag for the Fourth of July!

i was cleaning out the garage (which may just be a summer-long project, i tell you...)

and found a bunch of materials left over
from when i closed the homewardFOUND shop last March.

when i looked at the weathered white fence pickets,
and the blue-ish zinc metal scraps, i saw a flag.

 so i got busy assembling it on the workbench...
and that metal in the top photo isn't what you think it is!

...continue reading to see how i made my own faux zinc!

diy headboard to a-door...

in my book, making do with what you already have simplifies life,

and certainly beats buying more stuff...

when we moved into the new house, i had two choices:

use the same old wood gate as a headboard,

or come up with something new.

i chose 'something new' - but of course i didn't go out and BUY a headboard!

keep reading to see what i did....

my hat trick!

decorating with collections is an easy way to bring your own personality into your home, 

and changing them up seasonally is a fun way to change the 'wardrobe' your house wears!

i love straw hats, and have a nice collection (tho it is smaller than it used to be).

displayed in spring and summer, i often hang them on a pegrack or pile them all on a chair.

sometimes, i even hang them on a wall. yes, RIGHT on the wall, as seen here...

it's as simple as putting a few clear pushpins in the wall and plopping a hat on it.

a grouping like this makes it pretty easy to grab one when needed - and hey, it's free wall decor!

then there's that OTHER hat trick... continue reading to see what i used under those chapeaus!

create a garden scarecrow using what?!

we finally had nice sunny weather this past weekend,
and i enjoyed working out in the backyard garden on a project that i've had in mind for months.
i am excited to finally share this easy tutorial with you! 

continue reading to see what i was working on... and how you can make one of your own!

Mirror, Mirror... Not at All!

a number of years ago, i found this mirror frame in a thrift store...

it had been separated from the dresser it belonged to, and the mirror glass was missing,

so it was basically just an empty frame. a beautiful empty frame!
i couldn't pass up the $2 price tag, so i took it home...

and with a few easy steps and one super-cheap secret, it became what you see here:
a lovely framed bulletin board!

i made and sold that bulletin board as shown above, without a dresser.

to give you an idea of what it would look like if you did this to a mirror frame WITH a dresser:

DISCLAIMER: these are not my dressers. these are not my photos, either - they were on a defunct sales site.
i've edited them to add a burlap-covered bulletin board to the mirror frames to illustrate my idea.

ok, wanna' know my secret?

i use large acoustic ceiling tiles and cardboard boxes!

* they are inexpensive, and they work behind any fabric OR can be painted.

* they are lightweight and easy to work with - just cut with an electric knife!
* they come in large rectangular sizes, so they'll fit just about any frame -
a dresser mirror, like this, or a door with a window opening, or a window frame.

click to see how i made a huge bulletin board out of a vintage door with a window

and get some tips for making your own version of this project!

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #422

yesterday on tuesday |  project inspire{d} #268

Tripping Was NOT in My Plan...

you know those bloggers that create a plan for their blog posts?

like, a three month list of what gets published when - and including what content ?

that must be nice.

i plan my seasonal content ahead, i do - but more often than not 

i find myself putting an unscheduled project together on the fly at the last minute, for one reason or another, 

and it turns out SO GOOD that i just have to share it. today's post is a great example.

oh, yeah, that 'last minute' part? you could add 'by accident' to that, too.

because i nearly had an accident in my studio - and that's how this particular project came about...

continue reading to find out how my klutziness worked in my favor!

Salvaged Cross Wall Art

 as fun as the bunny ear napkins were in my last post, 

i couldn't let Easter go by without sharing much more meaningful content...

the cross in the photo above is a wood planting box, 

handmade by an artisan* who gifted it to me in a parking lot. yes, a parking lot. 

his truck was parked next to me at a local nursery, and he walked out as i was getting out of the car.

i complimented him on the two planters that he had in his hands - the cross and this heart - 

and he told me his good news, that he had just landed an account for them to sell his planters.
he smiled a mile wide - then he handed the planters to me. 

i was shocked and tried to refuse them, saying he didn't need to 'pay' me for the compliment.

and that young man said something profound to me that will be forever linked to this cross planter:

'hey, good news needs to be shared, and celebrated!'

 yes, yes it does. 

and on Easter weekend, i can think of no Good News better than that of the Cross.

that particular cross is now something i see every day in my home.
when i was creating a gallery wall arrangement, i grabbed the cross planter from the potting bench,

intending to include it in my decor. but it needed something more... and it became a project!

continue reading to see what i did with it!

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!

Create a Vintage Spring Tablescape

 yes, that IS brown on my table - in springtime!!!
everywhere you look, pastels reign supreme for spring + Easter decor, 
but this year i just felt like breaking the mold.

i love neutrals, and it's SO easy to create a neutral setting then add in a pop of color.
i've decorated this way for years and years, and it's never boring or limiting.
using a basic three-color palette (varied hues of brown, yellow, and white)
i've taken my own spring farmhouse style in a new direction with this tablescape...

continue reading to see how!

Capture Spring in a Jar!

one of my most popular pins + posts is my 'beach in a jar' project

 but long before i ever came up with THAT one, i created another: 'SPRING in a jar'!

i'm not sure why i haven't shared them here on homewardFOUND before, but it's time to change that!

continue reading to learn more...