sweet sweater... trees!

yep, i found something ELSE to use sweaters for!
( no, this isn't my original idea - i've seen some really darling colorful ones on the 'net! )
but this is ME, queen of sweaterdom, so i had to try to make my own versions of them...
and i like the simple, warm look!

'continue reading' for this super-simple holiday & winter decor project
made with thrifted / upcycled sweaters...

NEW! Sweet Sweater Succulents!

well... i said i'd be back if the muse strikes again... and those gals are partyin' around here!!!

after my last (surprise!) post, i tucked those ping pong paddle cacti into a bucket in my office - 

because i am vowing NOT to decorate with pumpkins for fall until it FEELS like fall here.

(it's in the triple digits where i live. decidedly still summer weather.) 

and apparently, those lil' cacti have seeped into my brain - because I HAD ANOTHER IDEA. 

same story as before: 

flash of creative energy. trip to the thrift store. making a mess in my studio. and it worked!

the best thing about this one? it makes use of something i've done before:
i took my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin tutorial... and made a CACTUS!

of course, i just HAD to share it with you!

<<< click 'continue reading' for my new 'Sweet Sweater Succulents' tutorial! 

Get Warmer for Winter!

With the approach of the New Year, we all seem to crave a change....
whether it's a personal makeover, a new resolution, 

or a way to make our rooms feel 'not empty' after the Holiday decor & trees are gone.

You'll find inspiration here on homewardFOUND decor!

 I offer posts with ideas for warming up your home in winter, 

for decorating with a fresh whitewashed palette or subdued neutrals,

and for organizing your office / craft room with style...

you can even get a jump on your February / Valentine's Day decor!

... click on the 'WINTER' tab in my sidebar to find more content

(You'll find ideas for every season of the year by clicking on the links in my sidebar.)

Thank you for coming by to visit...

and may this new year bring you blessings and joy!

creating a warm welcome

sometimes you just can't find what you want out there in a store...

not even in a vintage / antique / thrift store (my fave places to shop)
it looks perfect in your head - but it doesn't exist yet.
oh how i LOVE that! 

i find i'm most creative when i have to get resourceful and make what i want.

case in point: an 'old'-looking sign that said JOY.

when i couldn't FIND one, i MADE one...

by simply painting block letters on a piece of plywood that was in the garage,

using regular house paint (flat white, with a slight tint of yellow to age it)

then adding a brown 'shadow' with a wash of thinned brown paint.

the FINAL touch to give it a 'vintage feel' was to paint in some circles of glue,

and then sprinkle those with some old glitter. 

(this photo shows the glitter circles in the letters a bit more clearly)

to coordinate this entryway display with our holiday theme, 

i gathered up a lot of textural sweater-y / knitted things like a blanket, a scarf, snowflakes,

and a few of my past winter seasonal products/creations:
a Sweet Sweater Snowman TM, Burlap & Sweet Sweater Santa Hats TM,

and a sweater-or-scarf wrapped wreath.
(click for links to posts - sweater hats posts were removed when they sold out)

with all of these items stacked on a vintage sewing machine case 

and hung from our old porch post coat rack,

our entry hall now welcomes us and guests in from the wintry weather.
(LOL... NOT! it's never that cold here) 

... and that's pretty JOYful!

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects # 501

lost and.... FOUND!

Remember these lil' babies?!

After selling my neutral-hued and orange Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins for five years, 

I released a limited edition of them in PINK in 2013 - and you LOVED them!

(thank you from the bottom of my pumpkin' shaped heart <3 )

Recently Janet at Shabbyfufu shared one of her own photos of my pink pumpkins,
the one you see on the lower right corner of my image above,

and her readers were clamoring to get some of their own...

I couldn't oblige, as making them in quantity makes my carpal tunnel flare up
(and Deb is not happy when she is in pain!)

That's a big reason why I stopped making them to sell after 2013, and offered my tutorial.
The other reason was that my Dad was undergoing cancer treatments,
and time spent with him was way more important than making pumpkins.

Well.... I have a bit of good news for anyone hankering to get their hands on

a couple of my pumpkins: I FOUND SOME!

;)
Yes, you have a chance to get one of the last sets of 

my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins in PINK, 

right here on the homewardFOUND blog!

 Tuesday Morning September 27 at 8 AM Pacific Time,
I'll have SIX SETS ONLY for sale here on the blog!
The PayPal purchase button will be on the right sidebar for your convenience.

Sold only in sets of 3 - varied sizes, pink tones, and knit textures in each set.

important stuff:
Shipping included, to continental USA addresses only.
Limited quantity available. No holds - Purchase required at time of order.
All purchases final. No refunds, no cancellations. No custom requests/orders.
Sale will cease immediately when available quantities are sold.

I'll see you here Tuesday!

* pumpkin palooza! *

Wow, is FALL really here already?

ok, well, it's not the 'official' beginning of fall, but

it's time to break out the fall decor...

Here at homewardFOUNDdecor, 

that means scrounging up materials from all over the house

and turning them into something fun to decorate with!

I've got loads of fall decor ideas for you here in my blog archives,

including tutorials for my signature & original pumpkins:

My Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins (designed 2007)

My Original Glass Globe Pumpkins (designed 2011)

Copper Kitchen Scrubby Pumpkins (designed 2014)

Faux Concrete Styro Pumpkins (tutorial shared 2014)

Painted Pumpkin Pails (designed 1994)
... and my versions of

Miniature Clay Pumpkins . Painted Ceramic Pumpkins . String & Twine Pumpkins 

Yeah, I know - that's more than the '6 projects' touted in the graphic above!
Once you get me started..... ;)

My OWN pumpkin decor includes the very FIRST Sweet Sweater Pumpkins I ever made! 
Yep, I've been storing and using them since waaaaaay back in 2007.
I'll be putting those - and newer versions - out soon.... 

Valentine's Day Sweet Tooth!

Deb's got a sweet tooth in more ways than one, let me tell ya...
today I was searching for something on my retail visual design blog

and found a 'blast from the past' old post sharing my Valentine's Day decor.
... and since we're already gearing up for Happy Hearts Day decor,
I thought you might just want to see it!

That was my little craftsman Cottage's kitchen window shown above, 

loaded with candy dishes heaping full of yummy tidbits 

(that I'll never really eat, truth be told....my weakness is chocolate) 

and a few trompe loeil treats.

One of them was inspired by THIS photo

from a past issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Magazine ...

I gathered up some round cardboard containers, metal tins, fabric, ribbons, and froufrou,
and got to work making my own versions of this 'stacked wedding cake' idea.
(I know, I know, this is not WORK. Let's call it a 'Creative Exercise' then, OK?)

I came up with two of them:

It's simply a cake pedestal with boxes, tins, and even a ceramic coffee cup
stacked up in layers and embellished with ribbons, flowers, 
and even my own REAL wedding cake topper!

 I shared a similar 'stacked wedding cake'-style idea here on HWf a few years ago:

Here are just a few more ideas for making your Valentine's Day sweet as can be....

More clear vases, domes, and candy dishes were loaded with 
pink and red candies from the Dollar Tree, an old heart pin made from buttons,
a 'cupcake' pincushion in a mug, and red marble hearts in a heart-shaped box...
it all added whimsy and charm to that little window in front of the sink
but took no time at all to create!

The truth was that although my Cottage kitchen was a retro dream,
the view out that window was utterly hideous - 
it looked directly at the garage of the house next door. UGH.
(you can see it right there in the background of the top photo!)
So I always created cute little vignettes in the window to look at instead!
.
Want even more Valentine's Day inspiration? 
See my '30 Days to Valentine's Day Countdown' posts from 2013!
View my Pinterest board: February Hearts

pssssssst..... I'm on Instagram, too!

Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin Tutorial

mySweet Sweater Pumpkins' TM
are popular every fall!

my free no-sew tutorial for THE ORIGINAL sweater pumpkin
helps you make your own versions of this classic fall decor accent!

this is an easy craft project, and eco-friendly way to decorate for fall,
because they're made out of recycled materials and totally no-sew.

i designed my original product in 2007, and it appeared on my Hummadeedledee blog,
then began selling them at vintage shows and stores in 2009,
and they have been published in magazines and on blogs, FB, and Pinterest ever since - 
appearing here on homewardFOUND first in 2012,
and in Better Homes & Garden's Halloween Special issue in 2013! 

continue reading for tutorial:

Vanilla... Nice, Nice, Baby

I guess it's not hard to see where my inspiration came from for this decor scheme....

smile.

My autumn color palette always - ALWAYS - includes tones of vanilla.
From pale cream to warm ivory, I love this color.

Mixed with soft brown-sugar tans and golden caramel hues,

 it's warm and inviting and comforting....

and craving-inducing
(especially when I am burning a vanilla scented candle, which is every day!)

My last post showed you the wall o' shelves in my office/studio,

decorated for Autumn in my fave hues.
Today, let's look across the room at the breakfront/sideboard/dresser area:

(Let me give you your bearings, because this image can be confusing...

There is a wall behind the dresser-top display, 

with two mirrors and my inspiration board hanging on the wall.
That's why you see the wall o' shelves on the left and another dresser on the right - reflections)

My inspiration board is long and narrow, to fit in the space between the mirrors.
Every season, I swap out the photos and quotes pinned to it.

Oh, and the 'bulletin board' itself?
Cardboard boxes, laid flat, sized to fit the space, covered in gift wrap, and nailed to the wall.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEasy.

 On the dresser/sideboard top, I mix and match and add stuff every season

to create an inspiring and pleasing vignette.

This season, I used wood and galvanized metal for depth,

with my ubiquitous white dinnerware to lighten it all up.
(dishes are not just for serving food, you know!) 

Add in creamy tones in bleached leaves and my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,

and then the final details:

 A perfect cashmere pumpkin sits under a handmade wire dome / 'cagelet',

displayed on a cool white ceramic pedestal bowl with a plate on top.

 I made this wire folly YEARS ago (inspired by Alicia at Posie Gets Cozy!)
and I love changing it up every season.

I know, I know...

every time I share photos of this, I get messages and comments about making a tutorial...

truthfully, I haven't had the patience to break it down into the 20 steps it will take.
Not sure anyone would hang around to even READ a 20-step tutorial!!!!

 I tuck little sentimental details into my display here because I can see them when I am writing...

those two ceramic tiles were made my by creative daughter Brianna in her high school art class.

One is sunshine, one is rain... they sum up life for me,

and remind me every day of a sweet little redheaded girl who has always loved art.
I'm talking about Anni - but that applies to ME, too! ;)

One last area in my office is the dresser to the right of my long desk...

the dresser belonged to my Grandpa Ward, and I treasure it.

On top of the dresser, a classic alabaster lamp (found for TEN BUCKS at Goodwill!)

casts a warm light onto another gathering of creamy vanilla decor...
wood yardsticks, old papers and neutral gift wrap are stored in a miniature milk can,

and more Sweet Sweater Pumpkins are displayed,

one topped by two crowns under a wire dome - made from a tomato cage!

( and THIS one I DID create a tutorial for right here )

 I still have a bunch of bleached leaves and sweater pumpkins that I didn't use in the vignettes,

so I filled up two canvas totes and plopped them into my vintage wire shopping cart by the door.

 I think they just look like two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream!

.
My no-sew Sweet Sweater Pumpkin Tutorial is available FREE here.
Find my Bleached Leaf Tutorial here.