diy paint chip wreath

not just for the holidays, this wreath adds cheer in any season!

i made use of a rainbow 'ROYGBIV' color palette,
but of course you could make a similar wreath in hues that compliment your home...

it's a quick diy decorating project that is easy to complete.

continue reading for an easy tutorial!

rainbow colorized wreath

switching up my holiday decor themes each year is a lot of fun,
and it doesn't cost a lot to make a change...

this white wreath was just $6 at a local thrift shop four years ago,
and i've reworked it with colorful ornaments to match my colorful tree.

most of those ornaments i already had,
a few i grabbed at thrift shops and Dollar Tree to fill out my color palette.
( all told, i spent less than ten dollars on this)
attaching them to the wreath was a quick undertaking,
and the impact is uplifting - indoors or out!

continue reading for a few wreath decorating tips...

diy paper paint chip leaf wreath

as i was preparing to create holiday content for the blog this year,

i sourced some paint chips (paint color cards, etc) as supplies for my chosen theme.

and i want to be perfectly clear about WHERE i sourced them:
i didn't take these paint chips from the displays at the hardware or paint store.
i asked the manager of my local paint store if they had any OLD paint fans
that might not be in use any more (because new ones come out every year)...
and they handed them over with a smile. FREE.
a very happy Deb with arms full of paint fans nearly skipped out the door.

but as it so happens, while i was in the midst of creating decor for Christmas... 
another FALL decor idea hit me. so i stopped, and created this fall decor.
(i endeavor to NOT anger my muse!)

it's so simple, you could make the leaves from any kind of paper -
gift wrap, paper bags, scrapbook paper, wallpaper scraps!

continue reading for more details and the easy how-to...

paper 'paint chip' pumpkins

these happy pumpkins sprang into my head one night,

and i couldn't wait to get into my studio the next day to try them out!

last spring, i shared a few projects that are based on paint chips.

although the first project - hearts - was made from real paint chips (from a client's decor project)
i then came up with a way to make my OWN paint 'chips': paint them on paper!

not only is it a perfect way to get the right colors for a specific use,

it also assures that i always have as many as i need if a project expands
(frequently!) or needs a do-over (sometimes!).
.
continue reading for details on making your own painted paint chip paper

AND the things i've made with them this year!

painterly pumpkins

it's been over 110 degrees where i live this past week. WAY over. ugh. 

this does NOT feel like fall, my friends. not. one. bit.

so, i've been hiding in my air conditioned studio to escape the heat.

i was tidying my studio and went to toss something away, 

when suddenly a flash of inspo hit... and these colorful pumpkins are the result. 

cute? yes! painterly? yes! made of trash? yes!!

[also: completely unplanned!!!] 

continue reading to see what i repurposed to make them!

scrap paper cacti wall art

this project was a really fun one... 

it's one of those 'paper, scissors, paste' crafts that always make me feel like i'm back in school.

simple materials and process combine to create a nifty piece of wall art

that ended up NOT on a wall at all... 

continue reading for the details and a quick 'how-to'!

sweater + pool noodle faux cacti tutorial

the inspiration for these fun and funky faux cacti

began last fall with the design and creation of my Original Sweet Sweater Succulents.

when i recently decided to create new decor with a boho modern vibe, 

succulents were definitely a big part of the design... faux succulents, that is.

so i came up with yet another way to use my bottomless supply of sweater remnants:

pair a sweater sleeve with a simple pool noodle, and you've got taller cacti!

i used the new version in this basket under the side table in the recent guest room makeover,

paired with some of the previous versions (made like my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins!).

this is a really 'fast, cheap & easy' craft project to complete using scraps -

continue reading for a simple tutorial to help you make your own...

faux succulent wreath & wall decor

 when it came to wall art in our newly 'refreshed' guest room, 
i re-thought the currently hot trend of 'basket groupings' on walls

and went with a grouping of repurposed rusty metal items instead.

resembling woven baskets, they give the room a 'boho' feel - in a unique way.

my take on 'modern boho style' is less earth-child hippie and a bit more mid-century in feel.

and there's a reason for that:

during my sophomore summer, one of my jobs was selling imported baskets at the swap meet -

it was a hot, sweaty, physical job that a friend and i did every weekend all summer long.

we had to drive a junky old 'three on the tree' van to the drive in, unload it,

set up displays of the baskets, and then sit there all day convincing people to buy them.

then we had to load up anything that didn't sell. it was exhausting.

the only redeeming quality of it was the paycheck and spending time with my friend.

so now i have an aversion to baskets being used as they were back then! (the late 70's)

i like this solution... and just wait until you get a closer look at those succulents!

continue reading to see all of the details and 'how-to's'...

no-cost diy boho guest room decor

my home is basically a laboratory. a design 'test kitchen' of sorts.
every space is fair game for me to try out ideas, 
without worrying whether or not they'll work. if not, i try a new approach!

recently i had some ideas for some new decor that would bridge summer into fall,
with a bit of a 'modern boho' vibe. 
i just wasn't ready to remove all of the fun tiki style details
that we are enjoying in our main living spaces this summer.
so i took a peek into the guest room... and found a willing volunteer.
this room has been the same for four years, and it's long past time for a refresh!

i got to work and created a buncha' new projects, then restyled the room in a day.
i used what i have on hand here at home, so a whole new look didn't cost me a cent.
(all of those projects will be getting the spotlight in upcoming posts)

continue reading to see the before, during, after - and all of the details!

faux painted bamboo mirror

 when we moved into this house four years ago,

our decorating modus operandi was truly 'use what you have'...

more than 90% of the furniture we used came from my mom's old house

(1% came from mine - my grandpa's dresser and my farmhouse table!)

the mirror we have in our entry hall came from the guest room at the last house,

where it matched a dresser with a 'bleached oak' finish.

honestly, i love the mirror here...

it bounces light from the kitchen into an area that is lacking light.

but mercy, the original frame! i just haven't been sure about what to DO to it.

i contemplated a simple black satin stain or paint finish at one point,

but ruled it out as being too dark for this area of our home.

then two days ago, a brainstorm hit, and in just a few hours 

that mirror was made completely new using a faux paint treatment.

continue reading to see more details - including the 'before and after' shot... 

scrap wood tikis

last winter, i created a lot of tropical & tiki decor
as part of our fun 'Happy HULA-days' Christmas theme.

you've seen posts sharing most of it appearing in our current summertime decor,
bringing a tropical vibe to our home and yard for us to enjoy
during this 'staycation' that is lasting a whole lot longer than anyone anticipated.

one of my projects during quarantine has been the front entry of our home...
which isn't a porch but a 'vestibule' - and is really hard to decorate.

i came up with a simple solution using last December's holiday entry decor:

continue reading to see how i re-used my own tikis made from scrap wood!

scrap paper posies

some days, we just need a break. right? 
a chance to rest, an opportunity to cut loose, a moment to relax.
not every project has to be a ground-breaking new invention. or a massive undertaking.
sometimes - especially during a worldwide shutdown -
we just need some mindless activity to distract ourselves from anxious thoughts.

so while i've completed some big projects over the past few months,
and the muses have been kind enough to lead me in the direction of new creations,
i've also given myself the gift of time to PLAY. as in: projects just for FUN.
not necessarily to blog about, because they aren't always AMAZING,
but to sit back for a time and play around - and see where it goes.
i'll look at something in my studio and think 'what if i.....' 
and then i'm off, trying something new.

no matter what i am making, i always have fun playing with paper, scissors, and glue.

(sometimes my creative life feels like kindergarten....)

my challenge to myself these past four months has been to ONLY use what i have here at home.
(yes, the vintage roll of crepe paper from a recent post broke that rule...
but i hadn't gone out specifically shopping for craft supplies.)
i've got a lot of stuff around here, so there are ample 'art supplies' at hand.
and rarely do i use things the way they were intended to be used.
i just see things.... differently.

take gift wrap paper, for instance.... sure, i wrap gifts with it. 

but it's basically an art supply, right? paper of any kind is an art supply. 

oh, how i love art supplies. always have. even when they aren't from an 'art store'.
even when it's technically trash...

these scrap paper posies turn trash into treasure,
and are a quick project, perfect for de-stressing on a hot summer day!

continue reading to see where the inspiration for these colorful blooms came from...

metal chair = magnet board!

a spur-of-the-moment solution to a project i'd been considering took over my weekend!
making a change to the black metal chair in this photo has been on my mind,
but i wasn't sure about the method. or the outcome. mostly, the permanence of it.
so it's been 'on the back burner' for awhile. um... years.
then a solution presented itself - and in less than ten minutes, i had done it!

continue reading to see the final colorful outcome of this crazy-easy undertaking,
and hear a tale about the chair in this photo. it's been on a journey to get to me...

tropical gift bag wall art

along with the plethora of tikis i've been creating,
i've added some other tropical decor elements to our home for summer...
elements like this leafy wall art, made from a plastic gift / tote bag!

continue reading for the easiest art project ever...

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!

happy Easter

wishing a happy Easter and a blessed Resurrection Day to all of you, my friends... 

and if you don't mind, i'm going to 'wax poetic' for a moment 

to share something important with you...

i've realized that one of the reasons i am so drawn to using 

old, scarred, damaged, discarded elements 

to create beautiful decor for my homes and to share with you here on the blog 

is that i myself have felt much the same at times... old, scarred, damaged, discarded. 

i long to not let the experiences and misfortunes that have made me feel 'less than' 

stop me from seeing beauty in life... and beauty and usefulness in the detritus.

when i salvage a bit of wood or an old rusted dented piece of metal, 

or pick up an errant bit of fabric or paper, and turn them into lovely home decor, 

i am finding a way to redeem those forgotten and discarded items. 

it soothes my soul to not let them stay there on the ground in a broken, dirty state, 

but to lift them up and clean them off 

and give them the chance to reveal the beauty that remains - deep within. 

it's not perfection, but it is beauty nonetheless.

do you see where i'm going with this, my friends?

this is what i know that God has done with me, and with many others i know: 

He has not left us to rot away in our broken, damaged state. 

He has not discarded us, but has lifted us up, 

given us the opportunity to be cleaned up and made useful and shiny once again. 

to reveal the beauty that He created within us to be seen once more. 

i have certainly seen that principle at work in my own life... 

that beauty can come from ashes, growth from destruction, and life from death. 

most especially, i see the way that my faith has given me a new start many times over, 

and a glorious hope for the future.

because of that faith in Him and hope for my eternal future, 

this day means a great deal to me. 

and i hope to live every day with the promise of Easter, of resurrection, 

in my heart and on my mind, guiding me through life.

i hope that you, too, will find your hope in Him. 

by the way, there's a really great story behind this wood cross planter that i made into wall art... 

check it out here

home-making

friends, i just want to offer an encouraging note to you today...

i know things are scary in this world right now. i feel it, too.

.

in the midst of all of it, i am purposing to choose to keep my mind in a place of faith not fear, 

a place of peace not panic, a place of still finding things in everyday life to be grateful for. 

to find simple, comforting ways to be creative and content at home. 

to make home a place of respite, refuge, and happiness.

and isn't it good that we can make our homes a retreat from the worlds' chaos? 

in the midst of the current sense of uncertainty, i hope that you can all 
focus your mind and your thoughts on still seeing beauty in the world around you,
extend patience and kindness to others (but not your hands! LOL),
and fill up your homes with a daily celebration of life:
music, cleanliness, and a calmness of spirit built on gratitude for what we DO have.

.
we have a choice, and our choices affect others around us and in our homes...
we can still shine the light of hopefulness and BE the bright side of life right now.
we can still pull together here on social media and encourage & uplift one another.

.as a way of sharing good news and encouraging messages & images,
i invite you to share your social media links in a comment on this post:
facebook page, blog, instagram, pinterest, twitter. you can share someone else's, too!

.

this is a way we can 'visit' some new people, find uplifting content, and let it brighten our days! 😘

____________________________

oh, and that project pictured above?
i've had a few questions about it, so i'll share the details...

continue reading to see more!

spring decor accents made from 1 tablecloth

i love  a good decorating challenge...
for example, how much decorating punch can you get from a single piece of fabric?

i picked up a pretty green gingham tablecloth at Home Goods
and transformed it into some fresh new accents for our home this spring
to prove to myself that it doesn't take much to make a big impact.

continue reading to see how far a $15 purchase got me!

painted 'paint chip' wall art

in a past post, i used pink paint chip cards to make decorative hearts.

i also talked about how it is decidedly NOT cool 

to grab handfuls of paint chip cards from your local hardware or paint store, 

and suggested a few ways to obtain said paint chip cards without being greedy.

today, i came up with another alternative - just paint your own 'paint chips'!

i grabbed some heavy white paper and some craft paints to try out my idea,

and it works so well that i immediately made some wall art out of it!

continue reading for an easy paint tutorial,
and in just a short time, you can have SHEETS of 'paint chips' to craft & decorate with!

gift bag wall art tutorial

i love making somethin' outta' nuthin'! using inexpensive or free supplies is my jam.

and i love sharing those kinds of ideas here.

we all know that crazy-cheap retailers like Dollar Tree have loads of paper gift bags every season:

(Dollar Tree photo)

did you ever think of those as not just gift bags but craft supplies?

doing something unexpected with things is my jam, too...

like turning gift bags into wall art that echoes the current 'handlettered sign' trend! 

continue reading for this super 'fast, cheap & easy' project tutorial