Tutorial: Faux Spring Blossoms

i don't know what kind of weather you are dealing with, my friends, 

but it's so hot here in SoCal that Mother Nature is reeeeeeeally confused...

the question seems to be 'to bloom or not to bloom' 

because it's not quite clear whether it's late winter, early spring, or full-blown summer.

(Olaf the snowman would love it here right now!)
in other areas, some of you poor souls are dealing with BELOW ZERO temps!

for those of us who are looking for some evidence of spring, i have a trick to share:

forget nature. make your OWN spring blossoms!!!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...

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!

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! 

giant paper flowers

sometimes it's just best to go BIG, you know?

i've been a retail visual merchandiser + display designer / stylist for over 45 years,

and have made a LOT of props in my lifetime...

and i learned that whether you're creating a window display

or an event display or a photo backdrop, large scale has the most impact.

making big things can get costly, tho - unless you use inexpensive materials

like paper, tissue, and repurposed/upcycled elements.

the flowers you see up above were created for use in an event entry display,

and are made from new cardstock paper -

but i've made similar ones from vintage book pages, too.

can't you just imagine flowers made out of repurposed MAPS?

old newspapers? magazine pages? gift wrapping paper?

yep, so can i!

i can also see them decorating a lovely Mother's Day brunch setting,
or as decor in a nursery or girls' room.

continue reading for a quick tutorial and loads of inspo...

pom pom mushrooms

pom poms are having a MOMENT, my friends...

showing up in the fashion world, in huge art installations, and home decor.

while most of them are WILD expressions of texture and color,

i wanted to incorporate pom poms in a more limited palette

(yesssss, i DO mean yellow! - because why not?!)

and since my recent mushroom-creating kick has led to

March Mushroom Madness

i found a way to make pom pom 'shroomies!

...continue reading to see how EASY they are!

the old rugged cross

in my last post, i shared my new faux Kintsugi painted eggs,
and in the background of a few shots you saw a small collection of wood crosses.
today, i'm focusing on those and how they are made from 'everyday' materials.

Easter arrives in just a few days, and it is one of the most important days of the year to me.
my faith is built on the miraculous events celebrated on this day centuries ago,
and my hope resides in the promises God made about what it all means for the future.

Easter is also the day that my sweet Dad went home to Heaven seven years ago,
just as the sun was rising and beaming through the windows onto his peaceful face...
a precious reminder about what is really important in this life.

having a cross (or collection of crosses) in my decor is important to me,
and i love being able to make them unique and personal.
i hope these ideas inspire you!

continue reading for details...

Winter Into Spring Decor

 wondering how to decorate for the change from winter into spring?

try combining the hues and textures of winter with a touch of spring flowers, 

like the clear & white glass, burlap, and cherry blossom combination above.

this is a really simple way to take an everyday item and make it work as decor...

yes, those round things in the photo up above ARE what you think they are:

glass light globes

from old porch lights and overhead hall lights!

continue reading to see what i've done with them for spring!

Pyrex pattern Easter eggs

these happy Easter eggs were inspired by vintage Pyrex bowls
AND by two previous projects i've created inspired by them.

'inspiration comes from everywhere' is a phrase many creatives use.
it's certainly true for me, as well as 'inspiration comes from nature'.
another source of inspiration for me is my own previous projects.
i love using similar concepts and elements from my stash
to create new 'home decor that's not from a store' in different seasons!

i hope you enjoy my last Easter decor project this year!
be a good egg and continue reading for a really easy tutorial...

flower bunnies

spring has arrived, April is here, and Easter is on the horizon...
this truly easy floral project will add some fun to your spring decor!

whether you make it with faux or fresh flowers,

it's sure to make everyBUNNY smile ;) 

continue reading to see how you can replicate my look!

pyrex glass bowl mushrooms

more mushrooms have been 'springing' to life in my studio,
so let's continue with my

March Mushroom Madness!

last fall, my sweet friend Kim (she of the Farmhouse MAYkeover)
sent me a surprise package containing two darling vintage-inspired versions
of Pyrex' 'Butterfly Gold' pattern.

I LOVE THEM! i love them so much they became 'Pyrex Pumpkins' last fall.
and this spring, they've been transformed into Pyrex Mushrooms!

there's not a lot of technical 'tutorial' involved, but
continue reading to see some of my tips for making your own versions...

Create a Vintage Spring Tablescape

 yes, that IS brown on my table - in springtime!!!
everywhere you look, pastels reign supreme for spring + Easter decor, 
but this year i just felt like breaking the mold.

i love neutrals, and it's SO easy to create a neutral setting then add in a pop of color.
i've decorated this way for years and years, and it's never boring or limiting.
using a basic three-color palette (varied hues of brown, yellow, and white)
i've taken my own spring farmhouse style in a new direction with this tablescape...

continue reading to see how!

send a message with stamped dishes!

sometimes an idea comes outta' nowhere.

sometimes, nature is the inspiration.

and sometimes, another creative person does something new

that makes me realize a possibility that intrigues me...

that's the case with this 'just for fun' diy project.

i saw something on social media and laughed.

then i thought 'i have a few china dishes that i could do something like that with....'

and so, i tried it just to see how it would look.

my approach is temporary art, as most of my decor projects are.

(actually, i came up with TWO ways to do this project that are temporary)

when i tire of this look, i'll be able to 'erase' it

and return the dishes to their original condition.

and when it was all done, another approach occurred to me!

...continue reading to see where my mind took me...

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!

farmhouse may-keover: diy 'artful' chair

you may have noticed that i glossed over something special in my last post...
something sitting in the living room, next to the fireplace mantel.
it's a chair. it's furniture.... but it's also SO much more!
it's art. it's personalized. it's whimsy.

i'm a strong proponent of including a touch of whimsy in every room.

but what IS whimsy?

it's personality. charm. a unique 'something' that no one else has.

it could be a thing, a color, a pattern, an architectural oddity in the room

that just catches your eye the moment you walk in - and makes you smile.

when my friend mentioned an idea that she had to me,

i KNEW it would be a showstopping addition to her home.

i knew it would be the whimsy she craved and a perfect finishing touch

in her newly refreshed living room.

so we wasted no time in getting started!

continue reading to see the before, during, after (and afterafter!) of our re-styled revived chair!

May flowers: daffodil, daisy & dandelion

D is for daffodil, daisy, and dandelion!

(and a bunch more, like delphinium and dahlia and daphne)

continuing with the May Month of Flowers art challenge,

i've shared those three on Instagram on May 4 / day 4 / letter D -
and thought i'd share them here, as well!

several are older projects, and a few are brand new - created just for this challenge.

continue reading to see them all and learn how i made them...

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! 

paint chip shamrocks!

it's finally MARCH!
so now i can divulge the second decor project that i came up with
after creating my 'painted paint chip' paper <<< click for tutorial
(this project was actually the REASON i came up with that alternative to using actual paint chips)

inspired by my own pink 'paint chip hearts' shared back in February, 
i tweaked that process to make shamrocks to decorate with, in honor of St. Patricks' Day - 
and it's SO easy, even your kids can do this!

continue reading for an easy-peasy spring decor craft that your little leprechauns will love...

May flowers: gerbera

May 7 Day 7: Gerberas

this is another 'trash to treasure' assemblage / collage project

for the May Month of Flowers art challenge on Instagram.

this sunny bloom grew right outta' my recycle bin!

continue reading to see how i turned garbage into art...

what i did with all of my May flowers!

after creating all of my flowers for the Instagram #flowermonth2022 challenge,
i decided that i wanted to enjoy them a bit longer...
so i combined almost all of them into one big flower arrangement!
but that's not all i included.

continue reading to see some interesting things tucked in with those flowers...

upcycled wine bottle plant markers

i finished planting our backyard 'Victory Garden' on Sunday afternoon.
then realized i wanted some plant markers...
after half an hour of poking around in the garage workbench and shelves,
to find something interesting to make about a dozen markers out of,
i came up empty handed.

the muses, they are kind, though!
as i walked back into the house, my Mom was standing at our wine bar popping a cork
and held up the bottle as she asked 'is it time for wine?'...
and little bells started ringing in my head.

why not use wine bottles to make plant markers? WINE not, indeed!!!

continue reading to see how ridiculously easy this is - and how fun they look!