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!

Valentine's Day Projects + Tutorials

looking for some 'fast, cheap, & easy' TM ideas + inspiration

for making Valentine's Day gifts + decor using what you already have?

you'll find tutorials and photos for my TOP TEN best-selling and most popular original projects

- plus two inspiring valentine party themes - in the homewardFOUND blog archives. 

i've pulled the links all together here to make it easy for you ;)

TUTORIALS:
giant L O V E letter tiles  

embellished vintage bottles . wrapped glass vases

paper swedish hearts . paper flower heart

sweet pincushions . fabric sweet hearts  

  sweet gift tags  . heart gift tags  . charm bracelet

PARTY INSPIRATION:
sweet treat party decor . sweethearts soiree

have fun makin'! 

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #414

Happy HAULidays!

 Jingle & Jangle are getting excited!

These darling vintage elves will be in my shop soon - along with a lot more!

I've been pricing and making and prepping my huge HAULiday stash

to go into my homewardFOUND shop in Room #1 at Needful Things Addiction.
(there is SO MUCH MORE than I can even photograph right now)

and then.... Plan B happened.
The store owner asked for my help with a project - and OH am I glad I said yes!!!

Today I spent a few hours down at the store, prowling through some storage rooms

that are FILLED with amazing furniture and accessories, 

selecting some for fixtures and then getting to work turning an empty room

into a setting for a holiday happening!

That room is Room #3, and it's right next to my regular spot, Room #1...

I'll be filling it with my haul of handmade originals and vintage finds in bright happy colors
for the BIG EVENT this coming Saturday:

 .

Some new holiday things in soft neutrals will be headed into my 'regular' shop in Room #1, too!

I'll share some 'sneak peeks' here and on my social media pages

as soon as it's all set up and ready... and I hope you can make it out on Saturday -
I'll be at the store in the afternoon and evening to help out, 

and I'd love to meet you!

.

a happy holiday is on the way!

I know we're right in the midst of Thanksgiving prep, my friends,

but I just found something that I couldn't help but share!

I've been hunting and gathering and making all kinds of happy holiday goodies

that will be making their way into my little shop in Room #1

inside the Needful Things Addiction Marketshoppe in old town Lake Elsinore, Ca.

just a few of the sweet vintage treasures that I've found...

there's ever so much more, but some things need to stay secret ;) 

and as soon as I opened up a big box in the garage and saw what was in it,

I just knew that some of you would be really happy...

because my original Sweet Sweater Snowmen will be headed to the shop!

yep, I found all of these guys. and some BIG guys.

and some Sweet Sweater SnowBABIES, too!

these are perfect for your holiday decor & gift giving, 

because they work as decor well into February!

my holiday wares will be headed into the shop for Thanksgiving weekend

and an upcoming Dec 2 event in our store... stay tuned for details SOON!

True Confessions:

 The reality of creative life: it's not what you see in IG photos ;) 

this is what my studio looks like when I am in a creating frenzy - 

like getting ready to fill a room in a store with product for sale!

I spent three weeks messing it up while working into the wee hours.... 

and Sunday, I spent a few hours cleaning it allllll up:

 I'll enjoy the sparkling clean space for... oh, a day or two,

until I get busy making HOLIDAY goods for next month, and I mess it all up again!

scroll down to check out my recent posts about the NEW homewardFOUND shop

Today's Fall Finds....

this morning... LATE this morning...
I headed out to the 'community garage sales' in my neighborhood.
since it was late, I didn't know if I'd find anything I could use.

oh, but I DID!!!
 I spied several wonderful things...

okay, wait, I need to backtrack for a minute and make a confession. 

I'm the kind of garage / yard sale shopper that you probably hate.
I'm a DRIVE-BY SHOPPER.
yup.
I  roll past your driveway and scope out the offerings on your tarps and tables
without stopping my car. or getting OUT of my car. 
If there's enough there to intrigue me, I'll park and actually walk over to take a closer look.

I did it alllll morning long. 
my Mom sat in the car and helped me watch for signs ,
and then quickly evaluate each one as we drove past.

I can actually hear your eyes rolling as you read that... but it's ok. I get it!

So anyway, I found some lovely things that perfectly fit my palette and style,
things that will be headed to my homewardFOUND shop in Room 1
at Needful Things Addiction in Lake Elsinore, California
in just a few weeks!

oh.... and the BEST thing I found?

these vintage player piano rolls!

if you've known me for any length of time at all, 

you know that I let out a happy scream when I came across these!
I've used them for YEARS in my vintage art & decor creations,
and have been looking for them here in SoCal for a long time.
who knew they were right here in my own neighborhood?!!!

 and you can bet I have big plans for them ;)

stay tuned for my opening date announcement!

Something Old is New!

I'm in full-blown creative mode over here at hwF headquarters,

surrounded by a mess of materials and plans and pretties...

I am so excited about this new-old thing that's on the horizon!

...stay tuned for an announcement later this week!

.

Folded Book Christmas Angels & Trees

My Mom and I have been crafting and making things all of my life...
long ago, she and I created angels, choir boys, Santas, and snowmen
out of Readers Digest books with folded pages.
Back then, we painted ours gold and white and red, 
and the heads were round styrofoam balls.

Well, this year, Mom got the idea to make some of those again!

Continue Reading for more about our creations... 

Vintage Paper Ornaments

When I was in my frenzied flurry of paper crafting last month, 

(see my vintage paper poinsettia wall decor post)
I also created some ornaments for the tree...

Using a trusty old paper slicer that I kept from my Dad's warehouse,

I cut dozens and dozens and dozens of strips of paper from old books and hymnals.

With scissors, a stapler, a glue stick, and a pencil to create rolled edges as tools,

I played around with shapes until I came up with these: 

why, yes, that IS a hidden Mickey!
I put those on the tree in my studio because.... well, because!

Continue Reading to find out where I put them all!

Boo to You!

When I was unpacking fall decor for the new house last month, 

I discovered these in a box...

two of my 'Embellished Pumpkins' that I created and sold 

at the Glitterfest show three years ago.

(Why is it that I keep stumbling across stuff like this - 

stuff I don't even remember I HAVE - 

but I CAN'T find the stuff I NEED - like my printer cords??!!!!
Mysteries of moving, I guess!)

I took a fancy flocked shadowbox frame and an old wood clock case, 

and foofed them up with some fanciful materials:
faux leaves made of vintage sheet music and black resin with glitter,

real oak leaves that had been bleached, a bit of old lace,

two black crows - one with a vintage paper crown,

scrapbook paper with a haunted theme,

a watch case filled with a vintage photo (that I 'Bewitched' with a felt pen hat!),

some vintage rhinestone jewelry bits,

and of course no fall project from my studio would be complete without

my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins - 

this time in black and white!

Though fun to create, this isn't really my personal palette or decor style, 

but since they didn't sell at that show, I kept them.

And I'm glad I DID...

because they serve a perfect purpose: wishing you all a

although..... THIS ain't bad, either! ;)

lost and.... FOUND!

Remember these lil' babies?!

After selling my neutral-hued and orange Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins for five years, 

I released a limited edition of them in PINK in 2013 - and you LOVED them!

(thank you from the bottom of my pumpkin' shaped heart <3 )

Recently Janet at Shabbyfufu shared one of her own photos of my pink pumpkins,
the one you see on the lower right corner of my image above,

and her readers were clamoring to get some of their own...

I couldn't oblige, as making them in quantity makes my carpal tunnel flare up
(and Deb is not happy when she is in pain!)

That's a big reason why I stopped making them to sell after 2013, and offered my tutorial.
The other reason was that my Dad was undergoing cancer treatments,
and time spent with him was way more important than making pumpkins.

Well.... I have a bit of good news for anyone hankering to get their hands on

a couple of my pumpkins: I FOUND SOME!

;)
Yes, you have a chance to get one of the last sets of 

my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins in PINK, 

right here on the homewardFOUND blog!

 Tuesday Morning September 27 at 8 AM Pacific Time,
I'll have SIX SETS ONLY for sale here on the blog!
The PayPal purchase button will be on the right sidebar for your convenience.

Sold only in sets of 3 - varied sizes, pink tones, and knit textures in each set.

important stuff:
Shipping included, to continental USA addresses only.
Limited quantity available. No holds - Purchase required at time of order.
All purchases final. No refunds, no cancellations. No custom requests/orders.
Sale will cease immediately when available quantities are sold.

I'll see you here Tuesday!

Valentine's Day Sweet Tooth!

Deb's got a sweet tooth in more ways than one, let me tell ya...
today I was searching for something on my retail visual design blog

and found a 'blast from the past' old post sharing my Valentine's Day decor.
... and since we're already gearing up for Happy Hearts Day decor,
I thought you might just want to see it!

That was my little craftsman Cottage's kitchen window shown above, 

loaded with candy dishes heaping full of yummy tidbits 

(that I'll never really eat, truth be told....my weakness is chocolate) 

and a few trompe loeil treats.

One of them was inspired by THIS photo

from a past issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine ...

I gathered up some round cardboard containers, metal tins, fabric, ribbons, and froufrou,
and got to work making my own versions of this 'stacked wedding cake' idea.
(I know, I know, this is not WORK. Let's call it a 'Creative Exercise' then, OK?)

I came up with two of them:

It's simply a cake pedestal with boxes, tins, and even a ceramic coffee cup
stacked up in layers and embellished with ribbons, flowers, 
and even my own REAL wedding cake topper!

 I shared a similar 'stacked wedding cake'-style idea here on HWf a few years ago:

Here are just a few more ideas for making your Valentine's Day sweet as can be....

More clear vases, domes, and candy dishes were loaded with 
pink and red candies from the Dollar Tree, an old heart pin made from buttons,
a 'cupcake' pincushion in a mug, and red marble hearts in a heart-shaped box...
it all added whimsy and charm to that little window in front of the sink
but took no time at all to create!

The truth was that although my Cottage kitchen was a retro dream,
the view out that window was utterly hideous - 
it looked directly at the garage of the house next door. UGH.
(you can see it right there in the background of the top photo!)
So I always created cute little vignettes in the window to look at instead!
.
Want even more Valentine's Day inspiration? 
See my '30 Days to Valentine's Day Countdown' posts from 2013!
View my Pinterest board: February Hearts

pssssssst..... I'm on Instagram, too!

It's Not Too Late to Get Your SPOOK On!

Looking for last minute Halloween decor ideas?
(it's okay!)

Have no fear! I have a TREAT for you in my archives:
a bunch of my trademark 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' TM ideas...

just click on the 'read more' link!

Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin Tutorial

mySweet Sweater Pumpkins' TM
are popular every fall!

my free no-sew tutorial for THE ORIGINAL sweater pumpkin
helps you make your own versions of this classic fall decor accent!

this is an easy craft project, and eco-friendly way to decorate for fall,
because they're made out of recycled materials and totally no-sew.

i designed my original product in 2007, and it appeared on my Hummadeedledee blog,
then began selling them at vintage shows and stores in 2009,
and they have been published in magazines and on blogs, FB, and Pinterest ever since - 
appearing here on homewardFOUND first in 2012,
and in Better Homes & Garden's Halloween Special issue in 2013! 

continue reading for tutorial: