AUTUMN: Sweet Sweater Spookies!

Giving this happy ghost the moniker of 'Sweet Sweater Spookie' is cutting it close, since I didn't actually use a sweater to make it. But a crocheted blanket is pretty close to a knitted sweater - right?! 

It's actually a very quick project, so I thought I'd share it just in time for last-minute Halloween decorating inspiration!

Continue reading for an easy ten-minute tutorial...

NEW Sweet Sweater 'Sweetie Pies'!

May I present my newest Sweet Sweater Original creation? 

Say Hello to the 'Sweet Sweater Sweetie Pie'! TM 

I've been thinking about this project for a LONG time... decades, actually. The idea was originally inspired by the art of Mary Engelbreit, resulting in a 'Sweetie Pie' chair that I painted to sell in my shop. (My tiny shop was located next to a pie bakery, and my friend the owner LOVED this chair!) A client saw the chair, bought it, and then requested the same art on a cabinet she already had:

Way back then, I thought of making little felt or sweater pies to coordinate with this theme... a great idea, I just never got around to making any. Until recently, when I discovered a positively CUTE find that made me think 'Oh that is the PERFECT prop for the pies!!!' It was this cute lil' container (it holds lip balm) at my local DAISO store that kicked me into gear:

I purchased two of them and then hustled across the street to the craft store to buy some red pompoms - I already had everything else I needed at home. With February on the horizon, I thought I should share it in time for you to make your own versions for Valentine's Day decor!

Follow along with me as I finally make a ''Sweet Sweater Sweetie Pie'...

SUMMER: NEW Sweet Sweater Tomatoes!

A departure from tropical decor this week...
Summertime isn't complete without ripe, juicy tomatoes - and I've come up with a fun new Sweet Sweater Original creation that captures their appeal!

Whether you love fresh-grown summer tomatoes in a Caprese salad, on a grilled burger, or just on a plate with a sprinkle of salt, they seem to be the design accent of the season... everyone from Target to World Market to Pottery Barn has tomato products right now.

My idea was inspired by a fuzzy red 'tomato' pillow (more like a giant pincushion) that I saw in the Bullseye's Playground bins at Target - made from red microfleece and felt, it was... cute.

Yet I knew I could make it BETTER. With a SWEATER! ;)
Yes, sweater decor in summertime. I am obsessed!

Continue reading for an easy tutorial...

NEW! Sweet Sweater Apples!

one thing always leads to another 'round here....

after i turned some old green sweet sweater succulents

into green sweet sweater pumpkins (see my last post)

i had some different sweater succulents left over.

i've not only turned them into something different,

but have come up with yet another sweater creation"
Sweet Sweater Apples!

continue reading for details and a quick tutorial...

Make My Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins + Succulents!

every autumn, i get a huge uptick in blog traffic
searching for my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin tutorial.

they're a fun bit of seasonal decor that i am proud of creating back in 2007,
they've been published in major shelter magazines a few times,
and i love that people want to make their own versions of my babies!

every year i make new versions of them, and create a new post

just to make it easier for the tutorial to be found.

and yes, this year, i have green pumpkins!

but i didn't make them this year... i RE-made them.

because they weren't originally pumpkins...

back in 2019, i created my Original Sweet Sweater Succulents,

using my 2007 Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin method...

this year, i've made two simple changes to them
to turn them into pumpkins!

continue reading to see how easy this was...
and for links to both tutorials. 

NEW: Sweet Sweater Sprouts!

I really want to create seasonal home decor that isn't always 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'!
(as of Spring 2024)

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

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...

a NEW LOOK for my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins!

september is here, and you know what THAT means...
it's time for sweater weather AND sweater pumpkins!!!

i've been making + selling my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins TM since 2007,

and while i haven't sold any since i had my little hwf shop in 2017,

i occasionally still make new versions!

in 2021 i made a batch of new yellow 'sweeties' for myself, 

and this year after creating a huge new multicolor batch for my daughter Bethany,

i've made a revision to the way i finish them...

continue reading for a quick addition to my original tutorial...

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!

NEW! Sweet Sweater Potz!

spring has sprung! 

one of my favorite passages in the Bible speaks of spring the way i think of it:

"For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing birds has come,

and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance."

Song of Solomon 2:11-13

watching nature come back to life after a long cold winter revives me.

especially in a weird weather year like this one

(endless rain. snowing at DISNEYLAND! tornado near Los Angeles!),

i am always happy when spring finally arrives...

and if it doesn't arrive soon enough for me, i just create my own kind of spring vibe!

my newest Sweet Sweater Original TM creation is a nod to springtime

that i'll be enjoying for the next few months...

continue reading to see how simply you can create my Sweet Sweater Potz!

thrifted knit beanie mushrooms

you've heard of March Madness, yes? 

i may be pushing that description by embarking on my own twist:

March Mushroom Madness!

i've had some new 'shroom ideas rolling around in my noggin' for awhile now,

and i decided that since March is my birthday month,

i can do whatever i want. so mushrooms it is!

yep, all month long, you'll see the things that have been growing

in my super-charged imagination. 

(hold on tight, and keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times!)

up first, my easy-peasy tutorial for making these happy mushrooms

using thrifted knit beanies and cheap ceramic vases!

continue reading for all of the details!

NEW sweet sweater SNOcakes!

after i posted my gingerbread sweater cake at the end of December,
i began seeing all kinds of 'sweater cakes' online...

this gorgeous image from Lion Brand Yarn came up in my IG feed 
and MANY others are popping up on Pinterest -
utterly gorgeous real cakes that are frosted to look like cable knit sweaters.

i was particularly drawn to the white winter-y ones and knew i could replicate the look.
since i had everything i needed to create a faux cake,
i got busy creating my own 'Sweet Sweater' version.
and since it's still decidedly winter, i thought i'd share it here on the blog...
it's too late for more Valentine's Day decor, anyway!

continue reading to see the details - plus a few surprises!

use heart-shaped cake tins as decor!

just in case you need a very last-minute Valentine's Day decorating idea,

here's a cute idea using heart-shaped baking pans and cookie cutters!

i mean, why NOT use what you have on hand to decorate?!

continue reading to see the details in this bonus post!

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...

NEW! sweet sweater 'gingerbread' cakes!

deb used to bake. uh huh. but now if deb bakes, deb eats.
getting older with a slowing metabolism sucks!
so now my approach to 'holiday treats' takes a different form...

i just make sweet things out of other things... like SWEATERS!

for the finishing touch on my Gingerbread Holiday theme this year,
i've created two all-new Sweet SweaterTM originals to inspire you:

an oh-so-trendy 'tall cake' and a lil' mini 'cake buddy'
all trimmed out with gingerbread houses, men, candy canes, snowflakes,
and some 'frosting' that couldn't be easier!

continue reading to see how these sweet treats came together - 
without a calorie in sight ;) 

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!

my sweet sweater birthday cake!

hello, friends!
i've been enjoying my sabbatical over the past month and a half,
and have made a MAJOR dent in my very long and very overlooked 'To Do' list!
(such as: get my truck running again✔  get some appliance repairs done✔   
get some yard work done✔  buy a new mattress to help my back pain✔ )

since it's March 1st, the beginning of my birthday month,
it seems a perfect time to return to the blog and share a recent project with you!

* this post was created in mid-February and scheduled for March 1.
given the world events that transpired in the last week of February,
 i actually thought very seriously about not publishing it, 
 seeming too frivolous a subject to focus on in light of reality.

 i have decided to publish it, in the hope that anyone who sees it
will be reminded that there are still things to celebrate in this world
even in the midst of darkness and conflict. *

as much as i love to bake (and eat) sweet things,
i decided that my birthday cake this year needed to be a bit different...

you know it wouldn't be a birthday cake for ME unless it was made of sweaters, right?!

(my waistline and thighs appreciate the total lack of calories in this one ;) ) 

continue reading to find out the unusual way this fun decor came to be...