SPRING: repurpose tea tins as planters

 

In springtime, I focus a lot on decorating for the season with moss, plants and flowers. That includes coming up with fresh new ways to display them - and that's where this idea came from...

If you can buy food that tastes wonderful and is packaged in beautiful tin boxes that can be re-used, why wouldn't you? I not only love the intense flavors of the teas that Harney & Sons of Great Britain makes, I adore their packaging... and have found several ways to re-use the lovely tins. (This post is not an ad, or sponsored) 

Continue reading to see how I 'planted' the tins in just minutes...

SPRING: re-purpose light cages as flower frogs

Daffodils are my FAVORITE flower. Have been since I was a Little Debby and loved watching 'Daffy O'Dill' dance in Disney's 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Every spring, I grab bunches of them and fill up the house with sunny flowers... and while I miss being able to drive to the Skagit Valley in Washington state and get my fill of multiple varieties grown and sold in roadside 'honor stands', now I just drive to Trader Joe's Market and grab some bunches! (TJ's imports daffodils from both Skagit Valley, Washington and Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada).

The one thing I don't like about them is how the stems can end up bending and cutting off the water supply to the blooms. But now I've come up with a fun way to turn something else into a solution! 

Continue reading to see this EASY repurposed flower frog idea!

SPRING: flower-filled purse door hanger

March is here and spring is coming!
I'm always so glad to see the earth awaken after her winter nap, and love to use flowers and other garden references in my spring decor...

This project builds on one I've created before (linked below this post) and is an easy way to add some springtime charm to your front door or indoor walls!

Continue reading for tutorial...

Published: My 'Living Nest' in Farmhouse Style Magazine

 

Last Spring, I made a 'Living Nest', and shared it here on the blog. Shortly after that, I was contacted by Editor Lisa Sloan at Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Magazine to ask if they could include my project in their next Spring issue.

Of course I was thrilled, said yes, and sent in some images. The issue has just released, so let's hear a little commotion for a previous project!

continue reading for more details...

easy upcycle: spice bottle bud vase

one last post before i take a break for the month of june...

 this 'discovery' came one DAY after my last blog post,
which was all about using bottles as flower vases. 
(i'm consistently a day late to the party)

this project will be a perfect way to enjoy our roses all summer long!

continue reading for an easy-peasy upcycle diy...

vintage bowl mushrooms!

this project may not 'bowl you over' (geeze, i'm old)

but i hope it will inspire you to use things differently in your home decor.

in this case, i've gathered up some kitchen items

to create spring decor elements that work in many other places.

continue reading for the easy tutorial...

paint a faux 'rusted' metal mailbox

after sharing an epic paint fail (and a fix!) in my last post,

i thought i should share another paint project - one that went WELL!

inspired by this photo of a rusty green vintage metal mailbox on Instagram

(courtesy of  @thecollecteddesign on Instagram),

i grabbed a small vintage metal mailbox that i had found at a yard sale

and transformed it into a more beautiful mailbox - using paint.

yeah, i'm THAT kind of crazy, attempting this after a big mess!

but thing is - it worked. and it didn't just WORK, it worked out AMAZINGLY!

so, i'll share the steps i used to 'age' an already vintage mailbox -

including one of my 'top secret' (until now) faux finish tricks.

continue reading for all the details...

welcome to an epic crafting fail. and a fix!

prepare yourselves, friends... 

this project was actually going to be included as a photo prop in my 'posie pots' post.

and then everything that COULD go wrong WENT wrong.

so it wasn't included, and it's taken some time and effort

to reverse the damage and proceed with the project as intended.

ah, the joys of creating LOL! this is what you DON'T see on social media!

i've decided to feature it in its very own post

because this stuff happens - and for those who don't create a lot all the time,

it's helpful to know that 'ruined' does not equal 'toss it in the bin'.

there's usually always a way to save a project gone wrong!

continue reading to see the before, the scary during, and the after...

terra cotta pot mushrooms

my favorite seasonal decor is the kind that happens

when i'm just playing around with things in my studio - and an idea hits me.

i love using things in ways OTHER than how they were intended to be used,

both indoors and out.

these terra cotta pot mushrooms are one of the easiest things i've made,

and they are a perfect spring accent for your home AND garden spaces.

continue reading for an insanely easy tutorial to make your own versions!

vintage floral jewelry 'posie pots'

the old saying is 'April showers bring May flowers'...
but i'm ready for flowers NOW!

i call these 'posie pots', and the idea for them bloomed
when one of my memories met with a few images on Instagram - 
i'm sharing those sources in the post below, and a tutorial
so you can make your own spring decor or maybe a Mother's Day gift
 from vintage enamel floral pins!

continue reading for all of the details...

terra cotta pot wreath

yes, this project IS a 're-share'!
as i made this wreath for my 2023 'Terra Cotta Christmas' theme,
i did so planning to share it again this spring...

it just captures all the spring 'feels' SO well 
and has endless possibilities for embellishment each season - 
which is really what homeward found decor is all about.

friends, you don't need a whole new set of decor accents each season!
and you certainly don't need to shop for all new stuff...
and bins to store more and more and more stuff.
make your own decor and create a home you love to live in.

continue reading for my tutorial...

NEW: Sweet Sweater Sprouts!

i know. i said that i really wanted to create seasonal home decor that wasn't CUTE. 

but my muses keep giving me ideas for CUTE projects. 
at THREE in the morning. sigh.
the muses have no regard for our schedules -
 they want what they want WHEN they want it.
so when deb can't sleep, deb sketches. and the muses inspire.

and so, i proudly present
my NEWEST 'Sweet Sweater Original' creation: 'Sprouts'!

perfect for springtime and cute as can be,
these lil' guys make me smile. and they couldn't be easier to create...
continue reading for my tutorial!

it's time to talk about my pot addiction.

no, that post title ISN'T an April Fools Day joke -
and it doesn't mean what you THINK It means!
in case you haven't noticed, i just love terra cotta pots!

they are such a versatile decorative element...

i can ALWAYS find a way to use them, in every season:

gather them on a platter or in a crate, sit them on a miniature chair,

add a little moss, tuck in a blooming primrose or tulip (fake is okay!),

dome them under glass, set the table with them,

make mushrooms out of them, turn them into Christmas decor,

and generally use them in ways they were never intended to be used!

i don't think i'll ever run out of ideas...

there was this ONE incident, however, that launched me into

the terra cotta pot stratosphere...

simple paper strip nest

how did we get to the end of MARCH already?!!

this last post for the month - though certainly not my last spring project - 

was a thought that occurred to me as i was working on my

new 'Sweet Sweater Nest' creations late last month (post linked below)...

this nest is made using the same basic method as the sweater nest,

but with a different material: paper strips.

i've chosen to use some of my 'painted paint chip paper' strips to make mine - 
remember back in 2020 when my theme was paint chip crafts ALLL year long??!

to fit your own style, this project could easily be done using vintage sheet music,

elegant gift wrapping paper, or even colorful comic pages.
it's a fun way to up-cycle any paper you have on hand!

continue reading for a great last-minute spring project
PLUS a tip for filling your Easter baskets easily! 

create a living nest

i thought this project up months ago and am so happy to finally share it!

this 'living nest' idea was spurred by a photo i saw online:

my thought was, why not take the 'living wreath' topiary

and turn it on its side?! would it resemble a nest?

so then i had to experiment a bit to see if that idea would work out in reality. 

continue reading to see how it did!

easy-peasy twine nest

i dropped a ball of twine on the floor in my studio, it unraveled...

and this nest was the result!

i love it when something happens that makes me look at a material

in a new way, with a new use in a new seasonal accent.

and this one couldn't have been easier!

wanna' turn a ball of dollar store twine into a nest in less than five minutes?

continue reading! 

faux spring leaves made from ribbon

my last post included these leafy branches

that aren't leafy branches at all!

the trees in my yard haven't yet put on spring buds or leaves,

so i had to find a way to turn some bare branches into props for photos...

i've done that before with paper flowers and paper leaves,

but this time i used a different material to make the leaves:

thick satin ribbon saved from gift baskets.

they turned out SO much more realistic than i had anticipated,

and i'm thrilled to share this idea with you!

continue reading for the easy tutorial...

NEW! 'Sweet Sweater Nest' for Spring

springtime is time for a NEW 'Sweet Sweater' Original creation!

 i've created various versions of nests over the years

from all different kinds of material (posts linked below) - 

this year, i hatched an idea for one made from sweater scraps!

(does that surprise anyone at all? i bet not!)

i love the more natural, rustic look that resulted from my new method,

and have created a tutorial to help you get the same results...

...continue reading for my 'Sweet Sweater Nest' tutorial

ease into spring with a faux moss wreath

spring's arrival is just around the corner!
here's an easy way to ease into it...

i'm pairing my white fabric wreath that i created this winter

with a new element for spring - along with a few other items -

and i love how it bridges this 'winter into spring' time of year. 

even the smallest changes can reflect nature

and refresh your home decor in just minutes.

big changes are good - but they don't ALL have to be big.

continue reading for an easy wreath + decor tutorial!

moss-filled bookend | wall art

how many times can Deb re-use something?!

it's okay if you ask that... i ask myself that question a lot!

i love re-using elements in my decor, making them look

as different as i can from season to season.

or, in this case, from color obsession to color obsession...

while i do still love yellow, i wanted a change of course this year

and am embracing all of the shades of green i can find in my projects.

while i was taking one project apart, another presented itself 

and it's so easy i just had to share it with you.

continue reading for an easy way to personalize your decor!