make a cozy pillow cover!

when i started this blog waaaay back in 2012,

i used the tagline 'fast, cheap & easy' - a LOT.

it's a big part of how my projects evolve -

based on my 45+ year career as a retail display designer & stylist.

in my profession, things aren't made to last forever - just a season.

that's a big part of why i use and RE-use elements & materials in my projects!

by doing that, i can avoid having even more stuff in storage bins than i already do

and i can have fun finding new ways to use everything i have on hand.

THIS 'fast, cheap & easy' project came about in the funniest way - 

continue reading to find out what i used and how easy it is to make!

cozy yarn-wrapped winter wreath

yes, Deb's gone a *bit* 'loopy' lately!
this soft chenille loopy yarn is finding its way into several projects around here
because it's so FUN - and makes me think of snow. (okay, and frosting! LOL)

i've found another way to use it for a winter home decor accent,
and i hope this easy tutorial inspires you to give it a try!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

cozy yarn-wrapped candles

you may have spied these in my last post...

they're a new take on one of my fave early projects:

sweater-wrapped vases. only these are yarn-wrapped vases!

they are a fun way to cozy up your home decor in wintertime.

this material has the effect of fluffy white powder snow that is perfect for the season.

continue reading for the easy how-to AND an important safety tip...

warm new year greetings

happy new year, my friends!
i hope 2023 finds you healthy and happy...
every year, i learn something new. sometimes MANY somethings.
and this past year, i think i could sum up what i learned as:
"sometimes, you just have to do the thing."

this winter i've added a new element to my studio, shown in the photo above -

it's a heater that looks like a wood stove, 

and it works perfectly in tandem with my fake fireplace mantel built in 2020!

i had been thinking about doing this for over a month, but put it off.
(procrastination is my biggest challenge, seriously.)

then in Mid-December the temps dropped waaaaay lower than normal,

and my studio windows frosted over.
sometimes nature gives us a lil' helping hand to get us moving.

continue reading to learn more about my solution...

my FAVE winter decor projects

all of the Christmas decor is packed up, and i've been thinking about winter decorating
and all of the many ways i've 'warmed up' my homes every winter over the years...
 some of those projects have been successful several times in more than one home

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

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

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

in 733 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 new here, i hope you enjoy discovering some of my past creations

as i share a look back... 

continue reading for some of my FAVE winter decor projects!

diy tomato cage cornucopia

one of the enduring traditions of Thanksgiving is the familiar image of a cornucopia.

also known as the 'horn of plenty', this cone-shaped basket (originally an animal's horn)

laden with an abundance of harvested food in fall

reminds us of the many ways we are provided for on this earth.

i had an element on hand that i knew would be perfect

for transforming into a cornucopia for our Thanksgiving decor,

and boy does it make an impact!

continue reading for my not-so-easy diy tutorial and detailed photos...

coco fiber planter liner pumpkins

i spied this item one day at Lowes - do you know what it is?

in my endless search for things i can turn into tropical decor for our home,

i'm always looking at textures and colors that work - on the cheap - 

and this looked for all the world like a giant coconut to me!

turning it into a pumpkin was easy-peasy - 

so much so that creating the tutorial for this post took me MUCH longer

than actually MAKING the pumpkin!

have you figured out what i used yet??

continue reading to see the answer... plus a few variations!

DIY boho pumpkin decor tutorials

boho style is still going strong in decor trends,
so i thought i'd share three currently popular boho tutorials here on the blog:

Faux Terra Cotta Painted Pumpkins
Lace Pumpkins  .  Lace/Doily - Embellished Pumpkins

continue reading for links to these budget-friendly tutorials - and more!

wire lampshade mobile

you've all read my statements that 'i see things differently'
and 'i never really use things the way they were intended to be used!', right?
i'm very into 'use what you have' decorating & crafting using 'everyday' elements.

one day in 2020 when i was bored outta' my skull here at home,
i looked at a stack of wire lampshades and wire domes in the corner of my studio,
 and just played around to see what i could DO with them.
they ended up as a giant kinetic sculpture / mobile hanging from my studio ceiling.
and i shared that version here on the blog.

since then, i've changed it up a bit, and added a new element that makes me smile.
wanna' see?

...continue reading for wire lampshade mobile part 2!

a new sweet sweater 'shroom for spring!

last fall, i created some Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms,
using ceramic bowls and vases covered with sweater scraps.

then i found something that caused me to create a new 'take' on the 'shroom idea,
with a nod to spring...
i am really happy with the results, and the process isn't hard at all.
I hope it inspires you to give it a try!


continue reading to see how it started, and how it ends up!

daffodil sun catchers

daffodils are my very favorite flower...

i have loved them since i was a little Debby,
and saw the happy, silly, bobbing heads in Disney's 'Alice in Wonderland' - 
'Daffy O'Dill' made me laugh!
later in life, William Wordsworth's poem about dancing daffodils enchanted me,
and when i first saw hundreds of acres of daffodil fields in Washington's Skagit Valley,
my eyes filled with tears at the beautiful sight.
i used to visit those fields every March when i lived nearby.
now i take any chance i can to find other ways to enjoy daffies in spring - 
even if i have to make it myself!

this simple craft project combines the sparkle of light via crystals with silk flowers,
and is a lovely way to add some spring fresh style to any room.

continue reading for my easy tutorial... 

repurposed bottle brush carrots

i was out running errands this morning when inspiration hit me...
an item at the store i was in reminded me of something i had used before,

still had in my stash, and could use again to replicate the thing i saw - but in MY style.
(which is what my approach to decorating is all about!)

when i arrived home, i dug out the components in excitement, 
ready to 'hop to it' (see what i did there?!) and get this project done.
it took me all of ten minutes to make these cute lil' veggies!

continue reading to see what inspired me - and what i used to create my own version!

tiny thread nests

springtime always brings me back to making different kinds of bird nests...

they represent spring, and also connect to the practice of 'nesting',
making a home fresh and clean as well as warm and welcoming. 

today i am sharing a new nest i've created this month,

inspired by talented artist and designer Cathe Holden.

i recently saw a photo of one of her sweet little nests made from sewing thread,

and was so charmed by the utter simplicity of it that i just had to replicate the idea -

 using yellow thread, of course!

this was a truly 'fast, cheap, and easy'TM project that i think you'll love,
and it would make a perfect treat at each place setting on your Easter table!

continue reading for the easy details... and more about my muse, Cathe!

the yellow bonanza of 2021

i've been enjoying my time offline, tending to some household projects and tasks,

but thought i'd pop in to wrap up the past year in a big (yellow!) bow...

i've had so much fun creating a multitude of seasonal home decor projects

inspired by the Pantone 2021 Color of the Year, 'Illuminating' Yellow

continue reading for a quick peek at what i shared every month of the year!

it's a 'Sweet Sweater Season' holiday!

well, here we are, friends.... the holiday season is upon us!

i've been giving this year's theme a great deal of thought over the past months,

and have come up with something that isn't what you might expect to see.

i've decided to COMBINE holiday decor with winter decor!

combining two seasons into one ('holinter'??!)

means simplifying and focusing on creating decor that isn't specifically 'holiday'...

the goal is to S T R E T C H the decor impact from December all the way into February
so that i don't have to spend two weeks at the start of a new year
dealing with taking down the holiday stuff and putting out all-new winter stuff.

i really don't need more stuff.
i want less not more work after the holiday season!
i want more time for fun days on my brand new calendar,
and more time for reading and long winters' naps by the fire. or pool. whatever!
and this season, i'm making it happen.

are you in?! 

...continue reading for some sweet sneak peeks!

Thanksgiving tablescape

for my Thanksgiving table decor this year,

i've rounded up most of the newest pumpkins i created

along with my new Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms and scrap paper leaves.

together, they created a table with a warm golden glow that is perfect for fall

and i didn't have to buy a thing. LOVE that.

ps: at the end of this post, i've linked ALL of my Thanksgiving tablescape ideas

that you've seen here on the blog since i began in 2012!

continue reading to see the easy details...

fall paper leaf arrangement

i've had to get creative to bring a fall feel into my home

(there's not a fall leaf in sight outside and it's still in the 90's... sigh)

but i've managed to find a way! it's PAPER!

some of the leaves from the wreath in my last post joined with new ones

along with faux florals + leaves and a branch from my backyard tree

to create this lovely fall arrangement.

it's easy-peasy AND it won't fall apart! (hah. pun not intended)

continue reading for more details...

fall wreath with scrap paper leaves

here in Southern California, we don't get 'fall leaves'. 

not at my elevation, anyway. up in the mountains it's a bit different.

the leaves down here in the flat desert turn from green to brown in July when the heat hits.

if they aren't blown off of the trees by the Santa Ana winds in September,

they hang on until January when the new leaf buds push them off.

it's harder yet when you've lived somewhere else that actually has a fall season.

i really miss being able to forage the forest for glowing red, orange, and yellow leaves.

since that possibility no longer exists for me,

i had to find another way to express a fall feeling in my home this time of year...

and i found the solution in my recycling bin!

continue reading for a quick tutorial on turning scrap paper into fall leaves - and more!

NEW! Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms!

happy November, friends!
no, i am not done with fall yet!
there are so many beautiful things in nature in fall that inspire me...
and when i saw mushrooms of all types and materials going crazy online,

 i came up with my newest Sweet Sweater creation:

 Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms!

these are a fast, fun, easy craft / diy decor project perfect for fall and Thanksgiving
that i had a lot of fun making - i hope you will, too!

continue reading for my newest no-sew sweater decor tutorial...

give 'em pumpkin to talk about!

for my final 'Halloween' post, i'm sharing some costumes!
they're a bit different that what that word might cause you to expect...
because they are all for pumpkins!

i dressed up my white pumpkins in hats, glasses, bow ties, lacy ruffs, masks, crowns,
and one spectacular wig.
they're ready for the costume parade - and they serve as great inspiration
if you're still looking for last-minute decor ideas!

continue reading to see how i raided the costume box and dressed up my punkies!