faux terra cotta painted hearts

one last 'heart'-themed project for the month!
when i found four plastic hearts in my stash, i turned two of them
into faux moss covered topiary hearts (see my last post, linked below).

i held two back for this project - 
an easy faux paint treatment that turned two cheap plastic hearts
into something much more elegant and 'natural'.

using paint to change things is one of my favorite approaches
to seasonal decorating (and to not BUYING more stuff that i have to store)...

continue reading for my easy tutorial and a few more ideas!

'moss' heart topiary

as i was creating the large faux 'moss' heart in my last post,
i unearthed some small plastic hearts that i had previously painted.
(those posts are linked below this one)
i decided to recreate them to coordinate with the larger 'moss' heart.

covering these lil' hearts with moss-like green yarn and fuzzy fabric was easy,
then i turned one of them into a tiny topiary.

continue reading for an easy tutorial...

plant a faux 'moss' heart

this wood heart-shaped planting box is the perfect way

for me to incorporate nature-inspired elements in my winter decor. 

even though i'm not focused on creating for a specific 'holiday' now,

you've seen this element on the blog previously

as three different versions of wreaths perfect for February.

(previous posts linked below)

moss is a hot home decor trend this winter
and is showing up in many spring decor collections online...
from sculptures and floral designs to very large framed art pieces made of moss.

while i initially thought of using real moss for this project,

i found that one of my favorite 'faux' materials worked much easier
and with a lot less mess!

continue reading to see more details and my big 'secret' for moss...

a serene winter wreath

i love a seasonal wreath, don't you?!

this simple winter season wreath
is created from remnants of an old white matlasse' bedspread
and adorned with natural elements from my yard,
reflecting the way winter looks and feels where i live.

a fabric-wrapped wreath can be made with YOUR preferences,

and i hope this one inspires you to create something you love!

continue reading for an easy tutorial...

time for a change... a new 'mantel'!

in November 2020, i created something i had wanted for a long while:

a faux fireplace and mantel, as a photo backdrop.

using some spare lumber and white paint

i cobbled together a simple 'fireplace' and attached it to

the old wood gate that hangs on my studio wall

(my dad built it in the 80's and i swiped it when he built a new one in 2013!)

this backdrop has been in constant use since then, and has worked pretty well.

there have been a few times when it has not worked well -

usually when photographing a wreath or wall art

that was too big in scale to fit in the space above the mantel.
(and those sharp dark shadows from the 'firebox' drove me mad!)

in mid-December of '23, i decided it was time for a change

and tore that faux mantel and firebox enclosure apart!

the result is very satisfying.

continue reading for more details...

terra cotta Christmas: a simply natural table

i'm gonna' be honest, i got stuck on this one.
just how do you incorporate terra cotta pots into a tablescape?

keep it simple.

as always, i used what i had on hand,
combined some varied colors and textures and elements,
and didn't try to do anything that YOU can't do in your home, too.

continue reading for a few easy ideas...

terra cotta Christmas: 2 nativity scenes

when i was thinking about ideas for a terra cotta pot nativity,

i looked online - and every rendition i saw was 'cute'. and painted.

not what i wanted, which is good -

it means what i've created is different than what other people have done!

(always my goal)

i wanted the same kind of simple, modern/contemporary style i've done before

that would coordinate with the other terra cotta decor elements i've made this year.

then i grabbed a traditional nativity scene

and shzooshed it up a bit with paint ;) 

continue reading to see how easy it is to transform something
into something ELSE ...

terra cotta Christmas: faux painted tree ornaments

while i'm having fun finding all kinds of ways
to use terra cotta flower pots in my theme this holiday season,
i needed to expand the scope... enter my favorite tool: PAINT!

i rounded up some unused ornaments from my stash
and transformed them using my faux terra cotta paint technique.
it's easy, cheap, and a great way to revive unused items!

continue reading for the details and some of my top tree decorating tips...

terra cotta Christmas: clay pot wreaths

we've all seen beautiful wreaths made from terra cotta pots,

filled with herbs or succulents or flowers - in springtime.
i wanted to create a wreath made of pots
that fit this year's terra cotta Christmas theme...
simple, subtle, natural. and 'wintery' in feel.

the result is two wreaths that include terra cotta pots - 

one is a wreath of greens embellished with 'bells' made from pots,

the other a wreath made entirely of pots.

(and when i did a Google search, i didn't see any that looked like mine!)

they represent two different styles that can be made in varied sizes

for a variety of uses in your holiday decor!

continue reading to see tutorials for two variations of holiday wreaths...

terra cotta Christmas: clay pot trees

it's tiiiiiime! (channeling Mariah Carey there...)

there's no waiting any longer to start sharing holiday decor content!

my muses love to yank my chain....

i HAD a plan for holiday content this year on the blog. yes i did.

and then... 

surfing through IG one night when i couldn't sleep,

a photo shared by one of my former employers and clients
came across my screen - and wouldn't you know it,

that one photo inspired a whole NEW idea and theme.  

this is the photo posted by Molbak's Garden Center near Seattle

to promote one of the themes of their holiday products this year.
(i used to be on the visual merchandising design team there,
and love keeping up with what they are doing now - it's amazing!)

those are turned wood trees on the mantel.

but that's not how i interpreted it... 

instead, i saw a forest of terra cotta trees made from pots!

that one photo inspired me to create decor
that was subdued, simple, natural, and elegant -

along the lines of something from Pottery Barn, Terrain, West Elm.

in the process, i've come up with different ways to use terra cotta pots
to embody a new theme for the holidays this year...

(and there's not a BIT of yellow in it! ;) ) 

...continue reading to see three styles of terra cotta trees!

woodsy brown Thanksgiving tablescape + 25 more!

a few years ago i created a lovely Thanksgiving table setting

and never shared it on the blog!

i just ran across the photos in a file, and decided they need the spotlight...

even though there's not a single touch of yellow in the photos ;) 

(i think i DID share it on Instagram that year)

the rustic woodsy warmth of this table decor exemplifies fall to me,

and i loved the way the elements reflect traditional style.

continue reading for the details...

painted 'chocolate' pumpkins on a sweet sweater cake

a fitting conclusion to my recent faux food project posts,

this one really takes the cake....

this project came about because i had some tiny styro pumpkins,
which made me start thinking about making a very REAL cake

like my Mom used to make every fall when i was a kid.

it was always a round two-layer chocolate cake with chocolate icing

and adorned with tiny orange candy pumpkins all along the top edge.

i loved that cake.

we took them to school fall celebrations and church harvest festivals.

we took mini versions - cupcakes - to friend's houses.

we never brought any of it home, either!!! everyone loved it.

instead, i decided to make a fall 'cake' in my own style...

because deb does NOT need more calories!

continue reading for the before and after...

NEW: beach towel pumpkins!

as August comes to a close in the weirdest way possible

(a hurricane in Southern California? AND an earthquake? okay....)

i am still stretching 'summer' to the very last moment

with this new original pumpkin design...

dare i say 'it's time for beach blanket bingo'??!!

i've noodled the idea of creating pumpkins using colorful beach towels for awhile... 

first i tried to make them the same way i do my famous sweater pumpkins

but towels just don't *squish* like sweaters do - even thin ones.

 i tried a kind of 'gathered' approach - nope. still too bulky.

then one day i was scrolling Instagram,

and right there in front of me was a fantastical, incredible, creative,

 ORIGINAL and colorful new form of art that just blew my mind -

AND solved my pumpkin problem!

continue reading to see what i saw, and how i translated that into pumpkins!

easy raffia-wrapped TROPI-fall pumpkins

 

yes, i'm creating a few new 'tropical' style pumpkins this month!

these work together with my previous creations -

and since the summer heat is still in full force right now,

it's the ONLY way i can succumb to the siren call of autumn.

the pumpkins up above are SO easy to make,

(i think they'd look just as cute nestled into galvanized buckets

for some fall farmhouse style vibes!)

and just wait until you see what they're made of!

continue reading to find out my secret... 

'Christmas in July': SanTIKI mug

the summer heat must be getting to me,

because i'm jumping on the 'Christmas in July' theme. 

👀 WHAT???!!!! 

truth is i've been dealing with some.... stuff... and my creativity is ebbing.

i've run out of time and frankly the energy to complete the diy projects i started.

but as i was perusing photos of past projects,

i found one that i created + photographed back in late fall 2019, but never shared it.

since it just happens to fit the 'Christmas in July' theme that we're seeing everywhere,

i've decided that NOW is the time!

(granted, it's got a summer vibe,

 but it's made out of something decidedly Christmassy... so it works!)

 

...continue reading to see how Santa became a tiki!

easy tropical-style light cover

the summer heat arrived here on June 30th,
so i've been busy completing some fun new EASY projects around our home

(which has a tropical, tiki vibe going on all year long!)

since these projects work perfectly well as 'summer' season decor content,

 i thought i'd share them here on the blog this month!

so... let's get tropical!

first up, a ridiculously EASY way to make a builder-grade light fixture

look a lot more fun for summer... in just two steps!

continue reading to see what i did!

NEW! sweet sweater 'sandy' cake

a question i am often asked is 'where do you get your ideas from?'
i'm honestly inspired by everything! 
from the color combinations i see in nature to memories of my childhood
to objects i see that make me ask "can i make that out of a sweater?!"
i am never without ideas to investigate (which is why deb doesn't sleep....)

one of my long-time online friends from the 'way back' blogging days (early 90's)
is the most incredible cake decorator and baker i have ever seen.
Sasha (@saucybakes on IG) has a wild imagination and wicked talent,
and her creations never fail to make me
 A. hungry and B. intrigued about replicating them in my own style.

back in 2022 i was inspired by Sasha to create a cake
using sweaters, as my own 'birthday cake',
which then led to creating a faux holiday cake and a faux frosty wintery cake.

a recent post on her IG account showed a 'Little Mermaid' themed cake
with shells and sprinkle 'sand'...
so i started thinking about making a summery 'sand cake'
with a sweater and seashells and a few other elements. 

continue reading to see how i interpreted a beachy theme faux cake!

fave past summer decor projects

summertime is finally here, 

so let's start the new season with some easy decorating ideas!

i've enjoyed refreshing my homes every season over the years...

 some of those projects have been successful in more than one home

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

from bright primary hues when my kids were young,

to a restorative neutral palette with beachy style in an 'empty nest',

to my current enjoyment of bright happy yellow & white

(and the tropical / tiki decor in greens & oranges that you don't see on the blog),

my decor choices always reflect how i want to feel at home.

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

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

in 765 published 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 a newer visitor, i hope you enjoy discovering some of my past creations

as i share a look back... 

continue reading for some of my FAVE past summer decor projects!

upcycled garden 'bee cups'

this project may not fall within my usual 'seasonal home decor' category,

but it certainly fits my 'use what you have' philosophy!

have you heard of 'bee cups'?

created to provide a safe fresh water source for garden pollinators,

they're a hot item among naturalists and gardeners here in the West...

with our drought conditions, access to water is important to every living thing.

i've seen several versions of 'bee cups' for sale,

and one day as i was taking care of a task at home, a very simple item

(that was about to be trash) caught my eye - and this project is the result!

continue reading to see what i used (if you haven't figured it out yet!)...

junky bloomz!

'reduce reuse recycle' is the leitmotif of my design & decor approach...

i'd much rather use what i already have on hand here at home

than 'buy more, store more, discard more'.

by using what i have, i'm challenging my own creativity

and making my life easier by not having to wrangle more storage bins! 

as i was cleaning out a cabinet in my studio recently,

i stacked miscellaneous items on my worktable and floor.

as i turned to grab something to put it back in the cabinet,

i saw that some of the elements stacked together created a 'flower' of sorts...

and deb was off on a creative adventure!

(yes, i KNOW it's actually procrastination but just go with me here, ok?!!!)

continue reading to see how many different flowers i created with 'junk'!