display seashells in a gumball machine!

if you're a beach lover like me,
collecting & displaying seashells is a top summertime activity!

i've share many ideas before (linked below this post)
and now i have a different way to show off your shells
by using an unconventional container...

...continue reading for this easy paint & display project!

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!

sandy castles

long gone are the days when i hauled four kids and a carload of toys to the beach...

the chaos was worth it to spend long summer days

on the shores of Lake Tahoe or Puget Sound,

walking the waterline searching for beautiful seashells

and building sand castles (IF there was sand and not broken seashell grapple!).

those memories live on, especially in summertime,

and i've come up with an easy way to add a fun beachy touch to summer decor.

you can create these 'sandy castles' , too -

and it might just be as relaxing as making the real thing!

continue reading to see my sneaky trick...

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!

beach in a box!

years ago, i started filling vintage jars with seashells, and sand, and seagrass.
i call them 'Beach in a Jar' - and i sold a LOT of them at vintage shows.
saving souvenirs from vacation trips is a great way to relive summer memories...

here's a fun and easy way to use inexpensive materials and found objects
to create a 'beach in a box'
(and you really don't even have to GO on vacation to make these!)

continue reading to see how!

seashell wall art

for as long as i can remember, i've collected mementos from the beach...
tiny bottles of sand, sea glass remnants, little pieces of driftwood, and seashells.
*NOTE:  i DO make sure it's permissible to take these natural 'artifacts' from their locations,
and i don't take a lot. *

finding new ways to display these treasures is a fun creative exercise,
and this summer i've re-worked a former project to highlight a few of my seashells.
and yes, it's yellow! sunny, bright, warm, happy yellow for summer.

continue reading to see a few of my summer seashell shadow boxes...
(try to say THAT fast!!!)

summer sand pail centerpiece

summer's here, and it's time to relax and kick back.

that includes taking it easy with decor for home & parties...

so i'm sharing one of my fave summertime decorating tips.

this easy idea is a perfect happy everyday accent -

perhaps on a hallway console or dining table, 

or even at your front door.
it's also fun for a party - and no, not just for kids!

pssst.... continue reading to find out two secrets about that sand!

the daffodil queen

it's my birthday week ;) 

and if there's ever a day that a girl deserves to wear a crown,
it's on her birthday / week / month. no matter her age!

a tiny wire crown (that i made over a decade ago)
has been embellished with tiny faux daffodils... my favorite flower...
and though i am not nor have ever been a bona fide 'daffodil queen',

i think maybe for today, i shall proclaim myself one!

continue reading for the simple transformation...

free weekend may-keover!

if this 'stay at home' order has done one thing, 

it has made many of us start looking more closely at the rooms we live our lives in. right?.

and that can reveal things that we tend to overlook...

like rooms that are looking a bit sad, and need some help.

now, you know me - i'm not gonna' spend money if i don't have to.

and i don't consider home decorating an 'essential' reason to head to the store right now.

so.... i shopped the house and pulled together stuff we have here already

and gave one of our rooms a simple makeover. FREE. in a weekend.
one day to paint two items, another day to swap out accessories and linens. easy-peasy. 

continue reading to see the 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...

5 easy ways to summerize!

 

it's summertime... and the livin' should be easy!

it's time to simplify, lighten up, and create rooms that welcome a casual, fun, active lifestyle

to enjoy over the next few months.
i have a few simple ideas to make your home feel like a resort all summer long
without having to spend a lot of your vacation / stay-cation cash!

here are my top five tips for adding summer style to your rooms:

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!

beach in a jar

it's JUNE! that puts me in a summery mood, how about you?

way back in 2013, i shared '5 ways to decorate with seashells' in a post...

while they were all good ideas, i can say that based on pins, re-pins, and blog post visits, 

THIS ONE has been the overwhelming fave every summer since then.

it's a perfect time to revisit this easy summer decor project!

continue reading to see how simple it is to create variations of your own...