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...

WINTER: create faux 'wrapped' bulbs

A classic trend in winter decor is a nature-focused Nordic vibe, using natural elements that celebrate winter while hinting at spring. I've always love white flowers in winter, as they reflect the idea of snow-blanketed gardens.

This year, I've created some faux versions of wrapped bulbs and nestled them in snowy white ceramic containers. This simple project has brought a winter-y feel into my studio, and will transition perfectly into spring in the coming month.

Continue reading for an easy two-part tutorial...

WINTER: PomPom Vases

Here at the edge of the 'winter-spring' seasonal transition, I try to keep the coziness of winter's soft textures going by mixing them with elements that  start to reflect springtime.

When I picked up a remnant of some minty-green pompom trim at a fabric store's going out of biz sale, I immediately knew that I was going to do this with it...

Paired up with some smaller white pompom trim that I had from Dollar Tree, plus a thrifted curtain panel with minty green pompoms running down two sides, that new trim pulled it all together. It took just minutes for these three vases to get a new look!

Continue reading for my easy tutorial...

WINTER: yarn ball SnowBuddies!

I just have to ask: Do You Wanna' Build a Snowman?!

Since we have a bit of winter weather left (thank you Punxatawney Phil), I thought I'd share this fun new idea with you...

I dropped some yarn balls the other day, as I was taking them out of a box, and one bounced onto the top of a nearby mug (empty!). Imagine my surprise as I realized that it looked for all the world like one of my Sweet Sweater Snowmen. Only EASIER to make! 

Continue reading for my easy tutorial for making Yarn Ball SnowBuddies...

WINTER: Scrap Paper Hearts Wreath

In a bit of a coincidence, I was notified on Wednesday that one of my past project posts for Valentine's Day decor would be featured on Thursday in the HomeTalk daily email and on social media... and that project just happens to be the original version of the one in this post, which I scheduled for Friday! I bumped it to publish a *bit* earlier, so I could link this new version to the original post that the HomeTalk link will lead to.

I offer a warm welcome to all of you who are visiting from HomeTalk!

As my beloved regular readers know, I love 'making something out of nothing'. In other words, turning the contents of my trash + recycle bins into seasonal home decor accents. Making my own decor this way costs me nothing, is a fun exercise in creativity, and gives me no guilt at all when I disassemble and re-use elements from one project to another!

Let me show you how I turned scraps into Valentine's Day home decor ...

WINTER: make a faux vintage felt pennant

 

This is another 'just for fun' project to add to your winter decor - and also one of those projects that changed course a few times!

My original inspiration for this were two photos on Instagram, shared by Jens Fresh Vintage. Jen shared shots of her antique booth winter setup, showing winter paint-by-numbers and thermoses and ski's - and vintage souvenir pennants from ski resorts:


Recalling the fun days that I had spent skiing the slopes at Northstar and Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe, I decided to make myself a felt pennant that looked old.

As you can see in the photo up above, I did not make pennants that say 'Lake Tahoe' or anything like that... I went bigger! 

Continue reading to see a step-by-step tutorial to make your own pennants - AND what I ultimately ended up doing with them in my studio!

WINTER: diy gumball machine lamp!

Sometimes, you have to do a project or make a thing just for fun.

Like when you've been deep cleaning your studio/office and feel buried in the mess. (Especially when you are 'stress cleaning', am I right??) Or when an item crosses your view and a thought comes to mind "What IF...." This happens to me a lot, actually. My ADHD + rampant imagination combine and my mind is overtaken by those ideas. I can't even sleep until I try them out!

This week I unearthed a gumball machine from behind a chair in a corner. I thought it was in bins in our Shasta trailer - but no, it was tucked away just waiting to surprise me! And when I picked it up and sat it on the credenza, it ended up next to some glass lamp globes that were headed to one of the cabinet spaces of the credenza. 

My brain started adding things together, and this project happened. 

I just never know what's going to happen from day to day around here, I swear... 

Continue reading to see how easy it is to turn a gumball machine into a lamp!

WINTER: a stylish & EASY taper candle tip

I've decided to focus on very simple projects this month, sharing a few tips that will quickly and easily impact your decor as you warm up your winter homes.

This particular tip isn't mine - it originated with a very special shopkeeper, entertaining guru, visual stylist, decorator, and author who has been inspiring me for decades now: Ted Kennedy Watson (no, we're not related!).

Ted owns two stores in Seattle - Watson Kennedy Fine Living on Pine Avenue (across from Pike Place Market), and Watson Kennedy Fine Home on First Avenue. Both stores boast a wealth of beautiful items to enjoy in your decor and entertaining, and the displays Ted creates in the shops and the window displays are absolutely some of the best I've ever seen. I could (and did) spend hours taking in every detail in both shops during the 18 years I lived in Washington.

This particular stylist's 'trick' is SO easy - and by adding just one little detail, it makes a huge difference!

continue reading to see HOW easy...

WINTER . make a simple rosemary wreath

the Christmas decor is all packed away! whew.
now i'm enjoying a slow, calm 'ease into the new year' approach: simple changes, adjustments, and routines that give my creative mind space to wander (and wonder!) without stressing out as i keep up with my responsibilities. 

the simple rosemary wreath project that i am sharing today is something that can made in just minutes and with very little effort. (i don't know about you, but i LOVE easy DIY projects!) let me show you how easy and simply charming this project is - and how you can make it even if you don't have an herb garden.

continue reading for 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!

faux terra cotta painted hearts

one last 'heart'-themed project for the month!
when i found four plastic hearts in my stash, i turned two of them
into faux moss covered topiary hearts (see my last post, linked below).

i held two back for this project - 
an easy faux paint treatment that turned two cheap plastic hearts
into something much more elegant and 'natural'.

using paint to change things is one of my favorite approaches
to seasonal decorating (and to not BUYING more stuff that i have to store)...

continue reading for my easy tutorial and a few more ideas!

'moss' heart topiary

as i was creating the large faux 'moss' heart in my last post,
i unearthed some small plastic hearts that i had previously painted.
(those posts are linked below this one)
i decided to recreate them to coordinate with the larger 'moss' heart.

covering these lil' hearts with moss-like green yarn and fuzzy fabric was easy,
then i turned one of them into a tiny topiary.

continue reading for an easy tutorial...

plant a faux 'moss' heart

this wood heart-shaped planting box is the perfect way

for me to incorporate nature-inspired elements in my winter decor. 

even though i'm not focused on creating for a specific 'holiday' now,

you've seen this element on the blog previously

as three different versions of wreaths perfect for February.

(previous posts linked below)

moss is a hot home decor trend this winter
and is showing up in many spring decor collections online...
from sculptures and floral designs to very large framed art pieces made of moss.

while i initially thought of using real moss for this project,

i found that one of my favorite 'faux' materials worked much easier
and with a lot less mess!

continue reading to see more details and my big 'secret' for moss...

a serene winter wreath

i love a seasonal wreath, don't you?!

this simple winter season wreath
is created from remnants of an old white matlasse' bedspread
and adorned with natural elements from my yard,
reflecting the way winter looks and feels where i live.

a fabric-wrapped wreath can be made with YOUR preferences,

and i hope this one inspires you to create something you love!

continue reading for an easy tutorial...

time for a change... a new 'mantel'!

in November 2020, i created something i had wanted for a long while:

a faux fireplace and mantel, as a photo backdrop.

using some spare lumber and white paint

i cobbled together a simple 'fireplace' and attached it to

the old wood gate that hangs on my studio wall

(my dad built it in the 80's and i swiped it when he built a new one in 2013!)

this backdrop has been in constant use since then, and has worked pretty well.

there have been a few times when it has not worked well -

usually when photographing a wreath or wall art

that was too big in scale to fit in the space above the mantel.
(and those sharp dark shadows from the 'firebox' drove me mad!)

in mid-December of '23, i decided it was time for a change

and tore that faux mantel and firebox enclosure apart!

the result is very satisfying.

continue reading for more details...

welcome, winter...

my personal word for this next year is light 

along with the many meanings that word encompasses.

 i often hear people talk about how dark winters are -

yet after we remove the holiday decor, our homes feel lighter. cleaner.
(and yes, some say emptier.) 

but do we really want to fill them up again with a lot of stuff? 
why not welcome the new year with the lightness of a refreshed home?

i'm embracing the aesthetic of lightness and simplicity this year,

as well as a renewed focus on the beauty of nature in every season.

that's going to affect the way i approach my own home decor

and by extension the content i share here to inspire you.

as i plan and create new projects for the upcoming season,
i'm asking myself questions about how i want my home to feel,
how i want to feel IN my home, and how i can inspire you
to create a home you love to live in.

continue reading to see where i'm heading...

winter inspiration

the new year beckons with possibilities...

if you're looking for winter home decor tutorials and projects

to inspire you to create a home you love to live in,

click here for all of my past winter posts.

new winter content posts begin in january!

winter,DIY,diy decorating,decorating,home decor,tutorial,winter wreaths,winter crafts, winter home decor, winter decor,winter foraging,winter mood.

wishing you the happiest holidays

Christmas arrives in just a few days,

with a New Year on the horizon...

as we wrap up 2023,

i want to express my deep gratitude for your visits, likes, and comments

on my seasonal home decor content across social media platforms,

as well as to the generous bloggers and home publications

who have featured my projects over the past year.

i love the creative community we have all built together,

and truly appreciate your support & encouragement. it means the world to me.

and i really LOVE it when you tell me that i inspired you to make something new!

i so enjoyed your happy responses to my 'terra cotta Christmas' themed posts,

and you can imagine my smile when i spied these items on the Terrain website:

apparently i wasn't the only one obsessed with terra cotta pots this holiday season!

i'd love to hear from you what your favorite homewardFOUND post was this year,

and what you hope to see from me in 2024...

some fun project images are already sent off for publication,

with ideas for new winter-into-spring decor projects percolating in my brain.

i'm currently enjoying the end of this year and the dawning of the new one

while embracing some quiet time and 'artist dates'

to refresh and refuel my creativity as i plan for 2024 projects + content.

i hope you find time to do the same - 

disconnect, rest, renew, and revive yourself

in whatever ways you need to.

wishing you the merriest of Christmases

and happiness in the new year!

creatively, deb

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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!

cozy yarn winter flowers

it's still winter, and i'm staying warm in my studio

while working on some new spring decor projects for future posts...

but in the meantime,
i'd love to share one last winter project to finish off February!

i'm calling these 'yarn flowers', made by combining winter elements

with a few stems of faux flowers to create this fun bouquet. 

(and yes, my new favorite loopy white yarn IS in there!)
it's an easy, creative way to add some whimsy to these cold days...

continue reading to see the details...