a stylist's Top 5 Tips for seasonal displays!

some of the best tips & tricks i've learned and developed as a retail display stylist
[i've been at it for over 36 years, including designing booths at vintage shows like the one above]
work very successfully when applied to decorating homes... so i thought i'd share

the TOP FIVE techniques, tips, & tricks used in retail display

to help you get great visual impact with your seasonal decor!

1. start with a theme. 
my fall theme always begins with pumpkins, because I have a lot of them.
i've got glass, ceramic, wood, fabric, plastic, styrofoam, paper, dough, clay, terra cotta, real gourds,
and of course sweater pumpkins.
they spend far too many months packed in foam and cardboard, just waiting for their day in the spotlight,
so i give it to them for three months a year.

some people like swanky black & white accents with bling,

some like cute witches in orange and green and  yellow and black.

with a theme, I can coordinate all of the display areas in all of my rooms easily: 

every focal area has to have some pumpkins. 

i'm also big on natural elements: bleached leaves, faded roses, foliage & florals in pumpkin colors. 

add a few 'hard surface' elements: glass, silver, and wood containers.
So all of those elements together serve to define and express my theme.

2. find your focal points.

walk through your home, from the entry, and pay attention to where your eyes travel.

mine are the front porch, front entry, library table, mantel, buffet, dining table, and kitchen window. 

from small to large, each of these will hold the same theme, colors, and elements 

which will spread the season's 'story' all thru my house. 

by concentrating your efforts in the main focal areas, 

you'll get better visual impact AND save yourself time and money.

your seasonal decor needn't be on every single table, shelf, area - sometimes, less is more. 

(i can't believe i said that!)

the mantel is one of the main focal points as you enter this home.

 i didn't want to do a central arrangement or both sides, 

as these colors are so vibrant it would have been overwhelming. 

so i placed a clock on one side of the mantel,

 and a big colorful arrangement of flowers and pumpkins on the other side.

i practiced restraint  - something extremely hard to do!

in retail visual merchandising we normally do everything very BIG and very theatrical. 

 in a home, you have to dial it back a bit - especially in small rooms.

3. use color to pull your eye thru the space.

the photo above shows a display in the area just outside the front door.

from the first step up onto my covered front porch all the way thru the house, it's the same story. 

the pumpkin theme and the colors of orange, rust, and vanilla

catch your eye and cause you to look EXACTLY where i want you to look in the house!

i do that for two reasons: 

one, it's how i work. i'm obsessive that way. 

in retail, this practice is called 'color spotting' and it always works.

and two, this house is small. i mean, really small. it is a 1924 cottage, not even 1000 square feet. 

so to have too much visually going on [and definitely having too many different things going on] 

would cause me to lose my marbles staring at it all the time!

keeping the seasonal decor coordinated and simple, and placed strategically,

lets the color in the decor lead the eye of the beholder through the small space.

4. plan flexible, organic displays.

on my big long pine dining table, i grouped more of the same elements casually. 

i wanted the whole scheme to look sort of 'unstudied', just left there as if i had discovered it on a walk. 

i do add more stuff to my displays all thru the season. 

keep your displays organic (open to natural change). move things, add things, rearrange things. 

keep it interesting, not static.

one BIG change i make with my fall displays is this:

i begin in September with my pumpkins 'faceless'. 

that means if a pumpkin has a jack o' lantern face, it's turned toward the wall or back of the display. 

in October, i turn the pumpkins around so that the faces show for Halloween.

and then in November, i turn them back around again.

5. hang usable objects as art.
in a store, this is the equivalent of a moving hanging rack.
here, you see that door with old hooks i shared in a past post -
now it has a hanging straw purse filled with rust-colored silk roses and straw hats.
it's a neat 3-D artwork piece - i could have hung a painting here, but this is more tactile and fun.
find a coatrack or pegrack, something that you can alter, add to , and change with small touches.
functional items like scarves and gloves, umbrellas, even canvas bags of books
can look artful when arranged on purpose.

*** Hello to everyone visiting from the Funky Junk Interiors 'Love That Junk' Linkup!***
Thanks for the feature, Donna!

I've just added a brand new post with MORE ideas for re-purposing OLD DOORS!
click here to see what I've done with them over the years...

bonus tip:

6. use light to set a mood.
in the dining room table photo, and the foreground of the photo above,
you can see more glass vases with candles and fall leaves.
in the photo of the mantel, you can see a small lamp. 

warm light from candles and small lamps, a fireplace, or an illuminated painting on the wall

will add sparkle and glow to your rooms like no ceiling fixture or lamp on an end table can.

similarly, open window treatments will let in the golden autumn light

in the mornings and afternoons, 

creating changing patterns across the room and bringing it to life.

and with that...

a scented candle and beautiful music will be the finishing touches for beautiful rooms

that will welcome you, your family, and your friends in this autumn...

have fun creating seasonal touches in your home!

featured online:

Funky Junk Interiors | Love That Junk Link Party

a 'gingerbread holiday' dollhouse

because i squeezed in my last Thanksgiving post on Friday of last week,
it's finally time to share holiday decor!

 this first project was inspired by some halloween decor that i saw online

and you probably saw it, too...

dollhouses painted as decrepit old haunted houses.

i saw so many amazingly creative 'takes' on that idea on social media,

and decided then to create a gingerbread dollhouse for Christmas.

and that idea launched an entire theme:

welcome to my 'Gingerbread Holiday'!

once again, i'm making use of elements i have on hand already

along with a few CHEAP additions from thrift & discount stores
to create a whole new holiday decor theme to enjoy.

continue reading to see the before shot and all the details...

happy Galentine's day!

Valentine's Day isn't ALL about hearts and roses and romantic love.

it's also a great time to share the love with your girl friends - especially the single ones ;) 

(and who needs roses when you have rose', amiright?!)

the idea for our party decor started with a pink paint chip from the hardware store.

i had a few on hand after helping a client select paint colors for her retail shop,

and with them, this party theme rapidly became 'Paint the Town Pink!'

continue reading to see some fun ideas for a themed GALentine's dessert party...

NEW! faux 'sand' painted pumpkins

let's just jump right in to pumpkin season, shall we?
during my summer break, i let my creativity + imagination run wild,
which resulted in a bunch of fun new pumpkin decor projects for 2022.

first up, a new idea that is the perfect transition from summer to fall:
faux 'sand' painted pumpkins

if you're a beach lover like me, or a tropical / tiki culture lover like me,
or perhaps a 'coastal grandmother' like me??! ha!
this idea may be the perfect way to bring some beach vibes home...

continue reading for my easy paint tutorial!

welcome fall!

FALL is just around the corner!

it's already august, and while we are all enjoying lazy summer days poolside, 

 the stores are putting up Halloween displays and Pinterest is rampant with inspiration for fall decorating! 

(check out my 'september decor: fall harvest' Pinterest board here)

so get ready for a lineup of inspiring FALL content that will help you create some AMAZING fall decor...

no matter what your style is, you'll find ideas to make your OWN!

Fast, Cheap & Easy: Funkin Pumpkins!

the subject of  'fall decorating with pumpkins' just isn't complete

without mentioning fabulous FunkinsTM

[and seriously, go HERE to their website to see some JAWDROPPING ideas]

Funkins are lightweight resin pumpkins available in craft stores

and, for the truly CHEAP among us, at thrift stores.

these are really cost-effective, because they are reusable every year.

the thing is, Funkins LOOK like real pumpkins - and so just like real pumpkins,

you can carve them, paint them, embellish them, light them up...

 however, because they are lightweight, 

you can do things with Funkins that you can't do with real pumpkins:

hang them up, suspend them, cut them in half and hang them on a wall, impale them, 

add them to floral arrangements and potted plant displays... and more.

they become all-purpose decor props for fall and Halloween!

In the photos above, you see two large sized Funkins sitting in gorgeous black urns

at the entry to a residence that a partner and I decorated for several years.

each one is impaled on a wooden dowel that's been inserted into the dirt in the urn.

this holds the pumpkin upright in windy conditions.

this is a 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' TM way to add fall style to an existing planter.

 

 on the front porch, another Funkin joins a spooky topiary and some painted wooden pumpkins

to create a welcoming vignette.

the monograms on the Funkins shown in these photos

were all done with a simple black regular-tip Sharpie Marker

to coordinate with the welcome mat design, and to fit the elegant style of this client's home perfectly.

have you ever used a Funkin in YOUR fall decorating?

leave a link to your photos in a comment below, and let us see what you've come up with!

Charming Little Scarecrows

 A VERY unusual element makes these charming little scarecrows 

a 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' project... and you won't believe what it is!

Years ago, my friend Karen made the scarecrows in the image above

for the porch decor at one of our client's Seattle area homes.
A few years later, I made a similar little scarecrow, 

and came up with my 'crazy but ingenious' plan for his support system...

a standard rubber bathroom plunger.

yeah, really!

I DO suggest that you get a NEW plunger from a home supply store for this!
['reduce reuse recycle' has its limits, you know?!]

This illustration shows the process - 

Look at it from the BOTTOM UP !

Basically, you are building the scarecrow OVER the handle/post of the plunger,
which is stuck to the floor of your entryway, porch, etc.
Generally when I hear a description like that, I nod my head and go 'oh, I GET it!'
but I know not everyone is like that...
so here are some basic 'how to' steps to follow if you need them:

#1: First you stick the plunger to the floor - in your entryway, on your porch, wherever.
It won't stick to concrete, though, unless the concrete is really smooth.

If you have an extra doormat, flip it over and expose the rubbery side - the plunger will stick to that!

This method will make small scarecrows...
but you can stick the plunger onto taller items to make the scarecrows appear taller:

a five-gallon paint bucket wrapped in burlap, a metal milk can, anything that the plunger will stick to!

#2: Take a pair of child's pants - jeans, cords, overalls - and do one of two things:

If you want the scarecrow to sit down, put a hole in the crotch

so that the plunger's handle will go through the pants.

If you want the scarecrow to stand up, just slip one leg of the pants over the plunger handle.
[You'll need to 'scrunch' the pants down a bit once stuffed,

 to allow the shirt & head to fit on the handle, too.]

Close the ends of the pantlegs with a rubber band, and cover with raffia.
Then stuff the pants - I use plastic grocery bags or trash bags.
Stuff them REALLY full, making the pants as firm as possible  - not squishy.

#3. Place a wire clothes hanger inside a long-sleeved child's tee shirt or sweater

then place the shirt over the top of the plunger handle,

with the handle coming up through the neck of the shirt.

Close the ends of the sleeves with rubber bands, and cover with raffia.
Tuck the bottom of the shirt into the pants - use straight or safety pins to hold them together.
Add a raffia 'belt' in the pant belt loops if you'd like.

Then stuff the shirt with more plastic grocery or trash bags - 

again, stuffing it VERY full so that it is firm and not squishy.

Bend the top loop of the hanger in the shirt up straight, 

and DUCT TAPE it onto the plunger handle - this will help to hold the shirt and pants upright.

Leave about 4 inches of the handle at the top for the pumpkin head to fit onto.

#4. Get a lightweight 'FUNKIN' pumpkin, a plastic pumpkin pail, 

a plush pumpkin, or even a Sweater Pumpkin!

Put a hole in the center of the bottom of it. 

Then slide the pumpkin onto the plunger handle and snug it down to the neck of the shirt.

*** The pumpkin has to be lightweight - if it's heavy, it will cause the stick to lean over ***

You can add stuffed socks or shoes to the ends of the pant legs,

a stuffed pair of mittens to the ends of the shirt sleeves, 

and a hat to the top of the pumpkin if you wish.

You could also use children's Halloween costumes for this project!

Try some from the thrift store, or maybe even use the costumes that your kids have worn in past years!
[If , like me, you kept them because they were just too darned cute to part with. 

Yeah, I was that mom ;) My daughters have 'the Costume Box' now]

Just think how darling your front porch would be 
with a gathering of little costumed 'Trick or Treater' Scarecrows!

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...

Orange You Glad You're Here?!

While much of our home decor this Christmas is in neutral tones
(ivory, cream, tan, rusty brown, bronze, copper, and gold),
we decided to leave the bright orange decor already in the entryway.
(click to see more about the Joyful sign)
This happy hue brightens that small, dark space right up!

The addition of a tall, skinny tree in the corner added some light,
and a chance to create a fun, lighthearted feeling...
yet very different than the fun tropical tree decor that we created at the old house!

Continue Reading to see what we did... 

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...

Painted Paper Lanterns

I saw this idea at Roger's Gardens Hauntingly Beautiful Halloween BOOtique...

Take accordion-style tissue paper lanterns, fans, and other decorative accessories
( like the ones you can get CHEAP from Oriental Trading Company )
and paint the edges BEFORE you open them!

TIP: paint using a soft brush (not spray), then open immediately.
If you don't, the paint may stick the whole shebang together!

Paint black on the edges of white or cream, 

for a dramatic contrast.

Paint glittery silver or gold on the edges of black or white,

for elegant sparkle.

Tissue paper shapes can be really gorgeous decor...
I found a bunch of old tissue paper 'parasols' in a thrift store years ago,
and used them to fill in an empty overhead space at a show:

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Wicked Easy Chandelier

I love great decorating ideas.
I REALLY love huge visual impact that comes from SIMPLE, easy methods...

I saw this idea at the Roger's Gardens 'Night Gallery' Halloween House displays,
and it perfectly fits my 'Fast, Cheap and Easy' TM decorating mantra.

 Take your shabby chic decor into the realm of the undead with one simple move:
drape lengths of netting from your crystal chandelier!

Buy this inexpensive yardage and then cut it into long strips @ 18 inches wide,
so that it will puddle on the floor way down below the chandelier.
You can use black, as shown here, for a ghoulish effect,
OR use white for a ghostly effect.
[ TIP: IKEA sells 90" long white netting curtain panels 
in sets of two for $5! CHEAP!]

If you added flickering bulbs to the chandelier, it would be even more wicked
over your dining table, in your entry, in the powder room, or even outside in your garden...

Either way, it's a sure-fire trick to get BIG effects without spending big bucks... which is always a treat!

View more of the AMAZING visual effects and displays on the Roger's Gardens blog

'Fast, Cheap & Easy': Spellbound Photos

 alright, witches....
here's a 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' TM Halloween decorating tip if ever there was one:

1. grab a bunch of family photos. the more women in them, the better ;0)

doesn't matter where they are or what they are doing.

2. scan them, or take them to the local printer and run copies, in black and white.

3. use a black Sharpie marker and draw WITCH HATS and SHOES onto the women in the photos!

4. frame them in cheap dollar store frames painted black, and hang anywhere.

 

see how EASY this is?!

you can turn any gathering of girls into a witches' convention!

the photos can be of women at the beach, on a roller coaster, in the pool, on the runway... 

in any era, any decade, any style.

just add hats and funny shoes!

and maybe a cobweb overlay as a skirt or shawl. 

[ black cats, cauldrons, brooms and magic wands optional ]

one important note:

you might not want to use photos of your mother in law for this!

you can also use smaller photos, draw the hats on them, 

then place them into clear glass jars and bottles.

i added printed captions to mine - just funny lines that sort of describe the action in the photos -

and embellished the bottles with black ribbon and silver chains & charms.

 the image on the large bottle here is from an old book page -

i added the black hat and then glued the whole image onto the outside of the bottle.

[ a similar photo of these bottles appeared in PORCH magazine back in 2009 ]

I've got another easy and FUN idea for using a witch hat...

check out this post, too!

Fall Into the Holidays...

Thanksgiving before Christmas, right?

well...... for some people, that only applies to the calendar!
There are some pretty strong opinions about whether or not to decorate for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving... 

almost as strong as opinions about the upcoming election!

As for me, I don't 'do' my house for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.
[ I also don't shop on Black Friday. I decorate! ]
I know, it's so subversive.... 

continue reading to see how I incorporate BOTH holidays in my decor!

NEW! faux painted bamboo pumpkins

my penchant for tropical decor and tiki culture inspired this new pumpkin project...

our So Cal home is filled with tikis and bamboo and leafy palm fabrics,
because during the pandemic lockdown we had to cancel our trip to Hawaii
and decided to just make HOME feel as much like Hawaii as we could.
and we love it!
so, i like to create seasonal decor for us that coordinates with that theme.
pumpkins that look like they are made from bamboo are a perfect fit!

continue reading for my paint tutorial...

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:

gradient pumpkins

want a really easy way to decorate for fall?

one that makes use of things you already have?

choose one color, and gather up everything you have in that hue.

then arrange items from light to dark - or mix 'em all up.

and if what you have is a mish-mash of colors,

you can always paint things a new color! that's what i did.

continue reading for some simple transformation ideas...

Off the Wall?

Last spring, after moving into the new house,

Mom and I went shopping at the Down Home Spring Sale,

held at the home of Don & Peggy Arbenz.
Several years ago, I wrote about their GORGEOUS antique store in Orange, CA - 

they have since closed the store, but sell at shows and at their own events.

I really love their style,
(I've posted about some of their store's Fall and Halloween displays)

and just knew that we would find some things at their sale

that could be incorporated into our home... and we did!

One of the (many) treasures that came home with us was 

HALF of a tall, weathered wood porch post!
(It had been split lengthwise and has a totally flat back)

As soon as we saw it, we envisioned it as a coat rack in our entry hall:

Okay, well.... to be honest, we pictured it hung vertically... on another wall...

But the more we looked at it, the more we realized that 

this position limited the capacity for holding things -

including decorative things that change with the season.
( You see where I'm going with this, right?! )
So in the end, we moved the position from vertically beside the door 

to horizontally behind the door
(the door would be on the adjacent wall to the left of this photo)

Once hung in place, 

we gathered up a variety of interesting metal hooks from all over the place, 

and screwed them into the wood:

Top Row: 'faucet' hook - etsy . 'JOY' hooks - World Market

Bottom Row: vintage hook - ReStore, WA . silver metal hooks - Hobby Lobby

Find more coat hooks at World Market . HobbyLobby . 

It's a terrific drop zone right inside the door, along with being nice to look at!

The look and content will change with each season, 

making this as much an art gallery as it is a coat rack 

I'm working on a rustic 'Welcome' sign to hang above it, 

and you can see that one of my refreshed chalkboards ended up here, too!

I'm in the Bloglight!

Welcome to my guests from hometalk and the blogtalk group on facebook -

Thank you, Miriam Illions for featuring me and HOMEWARDfound today!
 hometalk is a FABulous community website where you can share, discuss, learn, and be AWED
by EVERYTHING having to do with creating & keeping houses. It's AMAZING!

I'm Deb and I'd like to welcome you to my blog!
 I'm a retail and home stylist, designer, and published writer.
[more on my 'Start Here' page]

Sweet Miriam Illions had this to say in the Blogtalk post:
"This week, the beautiful & graceful Deb Kennedy of HOMEward Found Decor is in the Bloglight!
Deb's story is inspiring and uplifting. She applies her creativity and fresh perspective 
not only to design & decor, but to all aspects of life. I am honored to feature you in the Bloglight today, Deb!"
[wow! she really makes me sound much better than I am!]

Miriam also asked a few questions to help you get to know me, 
so let's get right to those:

continue reading...

boho chic: crochet + lace pumpkins

i love coming up with new 'takes' on my own Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins,
and the two i'm sharing in this post were a fun way to give a whole new vibe to them.

a crochet textile from the thrift store and some lace curtain panels
are the perfect way to get a boho look for your fall decorating...

continue reading to see how easy these versions are to make!