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Showing posts with label paper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paper. Show all posts

12.04.2020

merry mantel paint chip decor

color,color palettes,colorful home,paper crafts,paper,Christmas,Christmas Decor,Christmas Decor Themes,DIY,diy decorating,ornaments,re-purposing,up-cycling,holiday,winter,roygbiv,colorized,color order,rainbow aesthetic,rainbow color Christmas,Christmas mantel decor,holiday mantel decor,mantel decor,colorful home decor,paint chips, paint chip projects,paint chip Christmas decor,wall art, merry and bright
'merry', indeed!
in the first of three different mantel decor projects i'm sharing with you this week,
the element of paint chips in this years' holiday decor is at the fore...
both the framed art and the paper chains make use of a rainbow of colorful paint chips
(sourced from my local Sherwin Willimans dealer),
in simple art projects that both adults and kids will love.

continue reading for details! 

11.25.2020

paint chip wreath, too!

art,wall art,wreaths,holiday,Christmas,Christmas Decor,Christmas Decor Themes,color,colorful home,DIY,diy decorating,re-purposing,crafting,paper,paper crafts,Christmas wreaths,Christmas mantel decor,paint chips,paint chip crafts,paint chip wreaths,colorful Christmas decor,decorating with color,roygbiv,colorized
this wreath is a makeover of a previous wreath project...
last spring, i covered a pool noodle circle with some green gingham fabric.

in about ten minutes, i recently reworked it to become something different
because that's what i do with my decor: rethink it, remake it, reuse it.

with the simple addition of paint chip strips, it brightens up the holiday season!

continue reading for an easy how-to....

11.23.2020

diy paint chip wreath

art,art class,wall art,paper crafts,paper,Christmas,Christmas Decor,color,color palettes,colorful home,holiday,DIY,diy decorating,wreaths,re-purposing,up-cycling,seasonal,tutorial,winter,home decorating,paint chips,paint chip decorating,paint chip Christmas decor,roygbiv,colorized,Christmas home decorating,Christmas wreath,door wreaths,paint chip crafts
not just for the holidays, this wreath adds cheer in any season!

i made use of a rainbow 'ROYGBIV' color palette,
but of course you could make a similar wreath in hues that compliment your home...
it's a quick diy decorating project that is easy to complete.

continue reading for an easy tutorial!

11.06.2020

fabulous faux mantel & logs

Christmas,Christmas Decor,boho style,farmhouse style,rustic style,paper,paper crafts,crafting,dollar store crafts,re-purposing,up-cycling,trash to treasure,woodcrafts,furniture,holiday,winter,DIY,diy decorating,diy home decor,diy projects,salvaged wood projects,Christmas frieplace mantel, faux woodgrain, faux wood,faux fireplace,fake fireplace decor,home decor,make it yourself, use what you have,Christmas decorating,holiday decor,holiday decorating,make a fake fireplace with fake wood logs
before i ever began concepting or creating this years' holiday decor,
i decided that it was finally time to create a prop that i've longed for:
a fireplace mantel.

we don't have one - ours is just a Craftsman--style cabinet with a faux electric fireplace in it.
it's very nice, but it has no mantel. and hanging above it is a television.
not exactly picturesque.

wanting a setting that would work as a backdrop to my holiday decor content,
i looked at what i had already, and came up with a plan...
my faux fireplace mantel would live in my studio/office,
providing easy access for setups and the best light to be had around here.

scraps of wood from the garage made easy work of it,
and they will come apart easily when i decide it has served its purpose.
that's my kind of decorating!


continue reading to see details - AND how to make those fab faux logs!

11.04.2020

diy paper paint chip leaf wreath

art class,boho style,color palettes,crafting,paper,paper crafts,decorating,DIY,diy decorating,fall,FREE,neutrals,farmhouse style,re-purposing,up-cycling,Thanksgiving,trash to treasure,wall art,wreaths,thanksgiving decor, November decorating, fall leaves, paper leaves, fall mantel decor, fall wreath, fall entry decor, paint chip crafts, paint chip art, paint chip fan deck, neutral fall decor, fall farmhouse decor, fall boho decor.
as i was preparing to create holiday content for the blog this year,
i sourced some paint chips (paint color cards, etc) as supplies for my chosen theme.

and i want to be perfectly clear about WHERE i sourced them:
i didn't take these paint chips from the displays at the hardware or paint store.
i asked the manager of my local paint store if they had any OLD paint fans
that might not be in use any more (because new ones come out every year)...
and they handed them over with a smile. FREE.
a very happy Deb with arms full of paint fans nearly skipped out the door.


but as it so happens, while i was in the midst of creating decor for Christmas... 

another FALL decor idea hit me. so i stopped, and created this fall decor.
(i endeavor to NOT anger my muse!)

it's so simple, you could make the leaves from any kind of paper -
gift wrap, paper bags, scrapbook paper, wallpaper scraps!

continue reading for more details and the easy how-to...

10.01.2020

make a tiered tray the easy way!

fall, fall decorating, fall home decor, tiered tray, tiered tray decor, styling a tiered tray, pumpkins, pumpkin decor, decorating with pumpkins, painted pumpkins, paper pumpkins, ceramic pumpkins, fall leaves, paper leaves, color, colorful home decor, diy, diy home decor, diy projects, use what you have decorating, tabletop decor, kitchen island decor, home decor diy
the decorating trend of the moment seems to be tiered trays!
they make arranging a selection of small items a breeze, 
pulling them all together in one display to make a big impact.

i've seen loads of great styling ideas shared all over social media,
but i came up with an approach for the tray itself that i thought might inspire you...

that tiered tray in the image above? not a tray. i didn't buy it.
i made it - using some things that i pulled out of cabinets & cupboards,
and a few drops of hot glue.
not only was it an easy project, it will come apart when i am ready for it to.

continue reading to see my easy way to MAKE a tiered tray...

9.14.2020

paper 'paint chip' pumpkins

fall, fall decor, fall home decor, pumpkins, papercrafts, fall pumpkin decor, paint chip crafts, paint chip pumpkins, crafting, fall crafts, orange decor, diy, diy home decor, diy fall decor, Halloween decor
these happy pumpkins sprang into my head one night,
and i couldn't wait to get into my studio the next day to try them out!

last spring, i shared a few projects that are based on paint chips.
although the first project - hearts - was made from real paint chips (from a client's decor project)
i then came up with a way to make my OWN paint 'chips': paint them on paper!

not only is it a perfect way to get the right colors for a specific use,
it also assures that i always have as many as i need if a project expands
(frequently!) or needs a do-over (sometimes!).

.
continue reading for details on making your own painted paint chip paper
AND the things i've made with them this year!

8.24.2020

tutorial: make faux succulents from ribbons

boho style, crafting, ribbon crafts, decorating, diy, diy decorating, home decor, decorating with succulents, faux succulents, summer decor, fall decor, trash to treasure, repurposing, paper crafts, tutorial, upcycling, reusing, faux plants
as i've been scouring my house for crafting / decorating supplies during quarantine,
i've unearthed a LOT of stuff that i had forgotten about!
case in point: a tin container of multicolored ribbons shoved in a box.
i pulled them out, separated them by color, and looked at the pile of green ribbons
with an eye toward using them somehow in the new guest room decor.

nothing immediately came to me UNTIL i walked outside that evening to water our plants.
i looked over at a galvanized bucket filled with succulents and BING! 
bells started ringing in my head.

a nice 'play' session ensued, where i messed around with paper, scissors, and glue
to combine with those ribbons and turn them into a decor element.
once that was done, i attached them to something already in the room -
and i really like the way this one turned out!

continue reading for the before, during, after, 
AND a tutorial to walk you through making your own faux succulents from ribbons!

7.23.2020

up-cycled magazine page floral art

art, art class, boho style, color, crafting, DIY, dollar store crafts, garden art, gift wrapping, magazines, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, spring, summer, trash to treasure, up-cycling, journals, notebook covers, journal art, mixed media art
you know how people always say 'let me sleep on it'?
that creative solutions come to them in their dreams?
yeah.... not me. my muses come at night and KEEP me from sleeping.

at the end of the day, i climb into bed, 
nestled up with a cup of tea and a good book to read - or my phone to scroll thru.
my goal is to slow my brain down, stop the flow of thoughts and ideas, so i can fall asleep.
and every once in a while, it actually works.
most of the time, though, i see something online or read a description in a book,
and my brain starts imagining wild creations and designs.
so i haul myself out of my comfy nest of a bed, run across the hall,
go into my studio, and scribble a quick sketch or jot a note to capture the idea
before it vanishes into the ether. 

i was today years old when i finally got SMART!
i decided that i need to have a small notepad and pen on my bedside table instead.
  a quick bit of mixed media art fun resulted - and now i've got a solution i can sleep with.

continue reading to see what inspired the design!

7.09.2020

scrap paper posies

art, art class, boho style, color, color palettes, crafting, DIY, diy decorating, dollar store crafts, gift wrapping, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, up-cycling, vintage paper, wall art, paper flowers, quarantine crafts
some days, we just need a break. right? 
a chance to rest, an opportunity to cut loose, a moment to relax.
not every project has to be a ground-breaking new invention. or a massive undertaking.
sometimes - especially during a worldwide shutdown -
we just need some mindless activity to distract ourselves from anxious thoughts.

so while i've completed some big projects over the past few months,
and the muses have been kind enough to lead me in the direction of new creations,
i've also given myself the gift of time to PLAY. as in: projects just for FUN.
not necessarily to blog about, because they aren't always AMAZING,
but to sit back for a time and play around - and see where it goes.
i'll look at something in my studio and think 'what if i.....' 
and then i'm off, trying something new.

no matter what i am making, i always have fun playing with paper, scissors, and glue.
(sometimes my creative life feels like kindergarten....)
my challenge to myself these past four months has been to ONLY use what i have here at home.
(yes, the vintage roll of crepe paper from a recent post broke that rule...
but i hadn't gone out specifically shopping for craft supplies.)
i've got a lot of stuff around here, so there are ample 'art supplies' at hand.
and rarely do i use things the way they were intended to be used.
i just see things.... differently.

take gift wrap paper, for instance.... sure, i wrap gifts with it. 
but it's basically an art supply, right? paper of any kind is an art supply. 
oh, how i love art supplies. always have. even when they aren't from an 'art store'.
even when it's technically trash...
these scrap paper posies turn trash into treasure,
and are a quick project, perfect for de-stressing on a hot summer day!

continue reading to see where the inspiration for these colorful blooms came from...

5.18.2020

updating old school clipboards

color, color palettes, creative spaces, diy decorating, DIY, dollar store crafts, fast cheap and easy, gift wrapping, organizing, paper crafts, paper, simple solutions, spring, office organization, office decor, colorful decor, diy crafts, papercrafts
say 'clipboard' and everyone pictures part of a computer function.
in my office, it refers to the Old School style ACTUAL clipboards.

sure, i use digital photography, social media, web platforms, and digital files.
but in the course of blogging and designing spaces for retailers & show vendors,
i also use a lot of hand-drawn sketches, doodled/scribbled ideas, and notes.
a LOT of doodles and notes. and they pile up.

for years, i've used shallow wire baskets to corral the paper landslide. 
(another old school organization method) but it always looks messy.
 while cleaning, i spied several old wood clipboards that my Dad had used in his warehouse...
and an idea began percolating:
make these look good, and they'd sure come in handy for holding file folders.
and y'know, they really do! i use them every day now.

continue reading to see how fast this project was...

4.23.2020

vintage door = inspiration board

art, art class, color, color palettes, creative spaces, creativity, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, fast cheap and easy, gift wrapping, inspiration, junk makeover, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, spring, vintage, up-cycling, old doors, vintage doors, bulletin boards, inspiration boards
while i love Pinterest as much as the next girl, i prefer the old school method...
an actual 3-D 'bulletin board', inspiration board, mood board -
whatever you want to call it. and the bigger, the better!

years ago, i had an old door that i turned into an inspiration board
by filling the window area with a large piece of modular ceiling tile.
(you know the kind that drops into the T-bar in the dropped ceilings of every office building?)
 it worked great - but that material is messy as heck. it's like styrofoam.
  
so when i undertook the same project again recently, i needed a new material to use.
turns out, i had what i needed in the garage!

 continue reading to learn how to create a bulletin/inspiration board, 
using an old door or window frame - or even a new window frame, or picture frame.

4.12.2020

happy Easter

art, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, farmhouse style, garden art, junking, junk makeover, paper, paper crafts, re-purposing, rustic style, salvaged, rustic, spring, wall art, vintage paper, woodcrafts, wood cross decor, old wood, old books
wishing a happy Easter and a blessed Resurrection Day to all of you, my friends... 
and if you don't mind, i'm going to 'wax poetic' for a moment 
to share something important with you...

i've realized that one of the reasons i am so drawn to using 
old, scarred, damaged, discarded elements 
to create beautiful decor for my homes and to share with you here on the blog 
is that i myself have felt much the same at times... old, scarred, damaged, discarded. 
i long to not let the experiences and misfortunes that have made me feel 'less than' 
stop me from seeing beauty in life... and beauty and usefulness in the detritus.

when i salvage a bit of wood or an old rusted dented piece of metal, 
or pick up an errant bit of fabric or paper, and turn them into lovely home decor, 
i am finding a way to redeem those forgotten and discarded items. 

it soothes my soul to not let them stay there on the ground in a broken, dirty state, 
but to lift them up and clean them off 
and give them the chance to reveal the beauty that remains - deep within. 
it's not perfection, but it is beauty nonetheless.

do you see where i'm going with this, my friends?

this is what i know that God has done with me, and with many others i know: 
He has not left us to rot away in our broken, damaged state. 
He has not discarded us, but has lifted us up, 
given us the opportunity to be cleaned up and made useful and shiny once again. 
to reveal the beauty that He created within us to be seen once more. 

i have certainly seen that principle at work in my own life... 
that beauty can come from ashes, growth from destruction, and life from death. 
most especially, i see the way that my faith has given me a new start many times over, 
and a glorious hope for the future.

because of that faith in Him and hope for my eternal future, 
this day means a great deal to me
and i hope to live every day with the promise of Easter, of resurrection, 
in my heart and on my mind, guiding me through life.


i hope that you, too, will find your hope in Him. 

by the way, there's a really great story behind this wood cross planter that i made into wall art... 
check it out here

3.24.2020

paint chip easter eggs - over easy!

art class, color, color palettes, crafting, crafting with kids, painting, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, fast cheap and easy, on the porch, original designs, paper crafts, paper, re-purposing, spring, tutorial, Easter decorating, Easter eggs, Easter egg decor
if you've been around here any length of time, 
you know that i like my decorating projects 'fast, cheap, & easy'TM. my trademark phrase.
in this case, the project is 'over easy'! 
yeah, it's a pun, but it's also true - because this is a super-fast craft idea for spring & Easter.
.
continue reading for the easy how-to and how i've used them...

3.20.2020

painting the daffies yellow!

art class, color, color palettes, crafting, crafting with kids, decorating, DIY, diy decorating, Easter, flowers, paper crafts, paper, painting, re-purposing, spring, up-cycling, tutorial, spring decorating, crafts for kids, daffodils, paper daffodils
spring 2020 sure is coming in like a... not lion. more like a T-Rex!
as we all adjust to this 'new normal' (and no, it's not normal),
we're all looking for activities that calm us, entertain the kids, make home a bit more... home-y.
.
using my recent 'paint your own paint chips' technique,
i've been happily painting away and then making new decor elements with the results...
this time 'round, i came up with flowers.
i'm not painting the roses red... i'm painting the daffodils yellow!

continue reading for my easy tutorial for this sweet spring project...

3.02.2020

paint chip shamrocks!

paper crafts, green decor, saint patricks day, march decor, spring decor, DIY, shamrocks, shamrock decor, diy decorating, home decor, paint chips, painting, party decor
it's finally MARCH!
so now i can divulge the second decor project that i came up with
after creating my 'painted paint chip' paper <<< click for tutorial
(this project was actually the REASON i came up with that alternative to using actual paint chips)

inspired by my own pink 'paint chip hearts' shared back in February, 

i tweaked that process to make shamrocks to decorate with, in honor of St. Patricks' Day - 
and it's SO easy, even your kids can do this!

continue reading for an easy-peasy spring decor craft that your little leprechauns will love...

2.06.2020

gift bag wall art tutorial

dollar store, dollar store crafts, valentine's day, valentine's day crafts, home decor, seasonal decor, gift wrapping, gift bags, wall art, make art, papercrafts, re-purposing, hearts
i love making somethin' outta' nuthin'! using inexpensive or free supplies is my jam.
and i love sharing those kinds of ideas here.
we all know that crazy-cheap retailers like Dollar Tree have loads of paper gift bags every season:
(Dollar Tree photo)

did you ever think of those as not just gift bags but craft supplies?
doing something unexpected with things is my jam, too...
like turning gift bags into wall art that echoes the current 'handlettered sign' trend! 

continue reading for this super 'fast, cheap & easy' project tutorial

1.31.2020

heart-felt decor - in an instant!

valentine's day, decorating, diy, diy home decor, red, hearts, papercrafts, crafting, wall art, rustic style, farmhouse style, salvaged wood, chalkboard art, chalkboard lettering
we incorporated the color RED (for the first time) into our home decor this winter,
and it has truly warmed up the visual look of our rooms.
(i've linked up those posts at the bottom of this post)

the bonus is that this color made the transition to February SO easy:
all i did was add in a few red hearts... BOOM! done!
one of the ways i did that was by using a completely unconventional method 
that i just had to share!

continue reading for my crazy crafty decorating exploits...

1.24.2020

paint the town pink!

paper valentines day heart decor, paint chip decor, paint theme party, pink, valentines day, hearts, home decor, diy home decor, paper crafts, pink party decor
in my last post, i mentioned some hearts that i had made out of paint chip cards -
but i didn't have a great photo of them to include in the post. i just found those paper hearts in a bin!
i snapped a few quick photos just so i can share them...

so let's consider this my 'Paint the Town Pink!' post Part Two!

continue reading for the details + more ideas...

1.20.2020

happy Galentine's day!

Valentine's Day isn't ALL about hearts and roses and romantic love.
it's also a great time to share the love with your girl friends - especially the single ones ;) 
(and who needs roses when you have rose', amiright?!)

the idea for our party decor started with a pink paint chip from the hardware store.
i had a few on hand after helping a client select paint colors for her retail shop,
and with them, this party theme rapidly became 'Paint the Town Pink!'

continue reading to see some fun ideas for a themed GALentine's dessert party...