happy MAHALOween!

i read that term - happy MAHALOween - on a tiki bar's website.

when this fun phrase gave me a way to incorporate my love of

tropicana decor and tiki culture into October celebrations, i was IN!

(truth is, i'm not really into Halloween anymore - fall, yes. pumpkins, YES!

the 'scary horror bloody zombie creepy clowns and witches' kinda' decor? nah.)

since i have NO intention of dressing up in costume, 

 i simply decided to give a pumpkin a costume. with a tiki mask!

continue reading for the details and an easy paint tutorial...

Happy Halloween!

 Sometimes, great decorating is the result of restraint.
Without much ado or effort, these simple white pumpkins have Halloween holiday spirit

and all I did was tie two (STUNNING) plastic masks onto them.

No carving, no paint, no hours of effort and mess were involved....

just a simple one-step 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' TM decor detail that REALLY makes an impact.
This is a perfect solution for those of you who haven't decorated yet

with just HOURS to go before the Trick-or-Treater Invasion!

I paid just one dollar EACH for those masks at a local flea market,

but you can still find great ones at local party supply stores.

Wishing you all a very Happy & SAFE Halloween!
I'll be handing out treats at Disneyland tonight :)

shared online:
Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed

Haunted Mannequin

Once again, the master visual stylists at Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar, CA

have outdone themselves with this years' Halloween decor...
the theme is 'Haunted Elegance', and this Haunted Mannequin is a perfect example.

She's elegant and scary and vintage-looking
AND 

she has secrets!

I thought there were some ideas here that could easily be used to create your own mannequin
for Halloween decor in your home...

The mannequin herself is a simple black cloth figure on a black wood stand - 

you can find those new or simply paint an existing mannequin form black.

Her first secret is her clothes. They aren't clothes at all.
They are TABLECLOTHS!

Yep.
See that cabinet behind her? It's holding damask and netting linens for sale.
The visual crew used it as fabric to create her wardrobe.
(It's kind of a 'Project Haunted Runway' thing going on there)

And there's another secret to be shared:
Her skirt has an underlayer to give it shape.
It's not a petticoat or a hoop. It's more a SKELETON of a hoop - 

created with

(drum roll, please)
WIRE TOMATO CAGES!

( I LOVE using tomato cages as a decor element! See more here!) 

Cut open on one side and then bent and connected together, 

the wire tomato cages are partially wrapped with cloth tape (like medical tape) to hold them together - 

and it looks very musty and old.

Then the layers of fabric are added, tied on, pinned,

bustled and flounced to give her Edwardian-era gothic fashion style...

open in front to allow a peek at the underskirt framework.
A sash of black satin holds the 'skirt' on and is finished with a sparkling pin.

On her back, a swath of the netting tablecloth is gathered up to form a cowl collar on top,

and then fall like a cape behind her.

Her bodice is expertly adorned with bones.

Not an actual 'skeleton' showing her ribs, this effect is more artful and suggestive.
More bones on her shoulders give the effect of epaulets.

Bones can be found at the Dollar Tree or party supply store...

and no, they won't look like these!
However, after a wash of thinned light gray paint
and then some 'antiquing' with a dark gray paint wiped on,

you'll get an old, decrepit look to them.

...and then there's her jewelry!

This stunning necklace was created by combining multiple sparkling rhinestone 

pins, brooches, earrings, belt buckles, and necklace pendants.
The assemblage is pinned right onto the mannequin form, 

but you could hang a real assembled necklace on one, too.

I just love how the designers there come up with fun new ways to use materials

that we see EVERYWHERE for Halloween...
I mean, other stores put tablecloths on tables, for goodness sake.

But at Roger's Gardens, they elevate the everyday to ecstasy!

shared online:

Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed

Yesterday on Tuesday | Project Inspire{d}

Happy Halloween!

i have always enjoyed adding sweet little seasonal decor touches to my home.
it all began with my Mom, who did the same thing when i was a little debby,
and i continued the tradition with my four kids.

it never took a lot, just a fun tablesetting on the morning of a special day
and a touch in the entry of our home, to set a mood.
the photos here are of a display i created in the window of our kitchen one year,
using my prolific pumpkin collection.

now my kids are adults, with families of their own, and they continue this tradition!

Halloween has so many great memories for me... here's just one:

Years ago, when my four kids were small, we'd travel from our home in the mountains to a friend's home in the valley. She lived in a neighborhood with hundreds of nice houses, so it was a prime Trick or Treating location. We'd have a great time taking our combined five kids around the neighborhood, while the hubbies stayed at her house and handed out candy to the munchkins. When we returned, there was candy for the kids and a nice dessert for the adults, while we all watched 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown'. Then we'd head home with our exhausted brood - and it was an hour drive from her house to mine.

EVERY year, she'd call my home phone and leave a message before I even got to my house - saying something along the lines of  "BEAT 'CHA! I got all my Halloween decor put away and my house is decorated for THANKSGIVING already!" Cracked me up.

In a similar thought, I know some bloggers and pinners are already posting Holiday content - but I just can't go there yet. There are a few posts I want to share with you, filled with Thanksgiving Inspiration, and then it's full-bore into Holiday content. I even have a FABULOUS giveaway lined up already! Stay tuned...

Halloween Inspiration: Mad Science

 Welcome to October at HOMEWARDfound!

Let the Halloween Decor Inspiration commence...

I was recently at an local store's event taking photos for a magazine story (more about that in a bit),

and was delighted when I saw the ghoulish Halloween display shown above.

I knew as soon as I saw it that this would be my October 1st blog post,
 because there are so many creative ideas shown here that we can learn from...

This mantel has some terrific cost-effective ideas:

*the taxidermy bat. 

 it's a primitive DOLL hung on a board! and it looks for all the world like taxidermy because it's ratty, old, dirty, and beat up. ok, so bats aren't MY thing.... maybe they aren't yours, either. but take an old deer or moose mount, spray paint it matte black, then rub some dirt into it, scuff up the nose and antlers, and you have a creepy old animal thing to hang over your mantel. stretch some cobwebs between the antlers, put a few spiders in there.... positively ghoulish.

[i am NOT advocating killing animals. do you know how many dirty old head mounts there are at garage sales, thrift shops, and antique malls? someone else killed them, let's just make use of them.]

*the draping.

simple cheesecloth dyed black - you can buy it at fabric and costume & party supply stores.
it's lightweight, so it can go just about anywhere without a lot of support needed. you can stretch this stuff out, rip it to shreds, and it just looks even better. i'd have taken a length of it and created a ratty scarf for the mannequin, and tucked a bat into it like a brooch!  

*the specimen jars

these are simple big old glass canisters and pickle jars  - stuff you can find at every garage sale, thrift shop, even at Ross and Marshalls stores. gather up a few (and old & dirty is PERFECT for this!), then start working on the contents...

inside the jars, you can have any kind of scary, grotesque specimens you want. the dollar store and Walmart are a great place to grab plastic and rubber spiders, snakes, cockroaches, eyeballs, fingers, skulls, sponges that look like brains....

[ok, I love a good movie reference. and that just made me think of  a scene from 'Young Frankenstein', where Igor tells Doctor Frankenstein which brain he grabbed from the lab: 

"Abby somebody".
"You brought me an ABNORMAL BRAIN???".

so i'd put a sponge brain in a jar with pink tinted water, and a label that said 'Abby Somebody'. that would make me laugh every time i looked at it!]

the jars could be filled with cheap plastic bones from the dollar store - femurs, hands, feet - but they don't LOOK cheap because of what you do with them: simply paint them flat white, then use a dry brush technique to smear some flat black paint into the crevices, making the details stand out. take them outside and roll them in the dirt, too, just to make them look like they came out of the ground - then pop them into the jars and close the lid.

a humorous tag will make people smile, too.  
do ya' see what i did there?

over on a cabinet next to the mantel, more specimen jars gather...

*old medical books

used as a base for more specimen jars, this just adds another layer of creepiness to the decor. the whole book doesn't even have to BE a medical journal - just the two pages you have it opened to. buy ONE ratty old medical book or magazine at an antique store, then tear the pages out and glue them into regular dictionaries. (THOSE are pennies on the dollar at thrift shops).

you can also add lettering to the cover and spine of old books, turning a plain old dictionary into a CREEPOLOGIST MANUAL or an EMBALMING GUIDE... just use a black sharpie marker and write right on the cover!

the photos you see above were all taken by me at

Down Home American Country Antiques, located in Orange, California 

it is owned by Peggy and Don Arentz, and Peggy is the mad scientist who thought up this display!

happy halloween...wine...whatever!

whatever you're dressing up as (including as yourself),

wherever you're going (including to a comfy chair at home)

and whatever treats you prefer (including WINE!),

i hope you and yours have a happy and SAFE Halloween!

Happy HalloWEEK! Part 2: A Skeleton Crew...

When I walked into Roger's Gardens 'Hauntingly Beautiful' Halloween BOOtique this fall

and saw THIS decor element, I laughed out loud.
Last year, their decor made me think of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.
THIS year, it makes me think of Pirates of the Caribbean!
(Yes, I am an unabashed Disney Kid!)

If you've ever looked at cheap plastic skeletons 

and thought there is NO way those will EVER look good,

think again....

 because used as an overhead 'trellis' for climbing ivy, these old bones have full-bodied style!

The skeletons hang from the ceiling and dangle down at the edges of rooms & doorways,

creating arches overhead.

Faux ivy twines through and around them, looking ever so creepy.

I could also see using REAL ivy - DEAD, brown, shriveled ivy - for this project.
Or maybe BLACK faux ivy - with gray spanish moss dangling down!

 (Sorry, bad pic - but I love his face!)
This is a great decor idea for a front porch, entry hall, or over the dining table.
Just think of all of the 'helping hands' you'd have around!

See ALL of my Halloween posts here

Find Roger's Gardens here

8 'Black Magic' Halloween Ideas!

 As Halloween Eve creeps ever closer, don't forget about the simple SCARY touches you can add

to everyday items in your home!

The black chandelier above has a center that resembles a cage -

so I treated it like one, and filled it with some drippy spanish moss and one solitary black crow.

I wrapped the faux candles in black glossy paper,

and used clear low-wattage nightlight bulbs for a sinister glow.

Click here for another idea for embellishing your chandeliers!

These two photos show an elegant carved wood white mirror that has been spookified:

A length of black sheer fabric is tucked between the wall and the mirror,

with one end of the fabric hanging down below it and one end tucked into a 'hood' shape at the top....

shrouding the mirror in mystery...

 more ideas for spooky black decor:

Bewitched Mirror Trick


Glass Globe Crystal Ball

Mad Science

Big Black Spiders

Spellbound Photos 

Tutorial: Clay Mini Pumpkins

 September is here, and it's time for a craft project!

I've linked this one up with Donna's FunkyJunk Interiors

'Party Junk' DIY Pumpkins Link Party!

Years ago, when my four children were small, I came across a recipe for homemade clay.

We used it to make little pumpkins for Halloween decor. 

The pumpkins shown here are the last remaining few from that project over 20 years ago.

Yes, they have lasted that long! 

The scene above shows the clay pumpkins gathered around a porcelain figure of a girl -

she's a 'shelf-sitter' that I used in my seasonal decorating over the years.
I made her party hat out of scrapbook papers and crepe paper, 

and included a 'Winnie the Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood' cookie jar in the party.

The characters on it are wearing costumes, so it was a perfect fit for Halloween. 

Making these little pumpkins from clay was a fun project for the kids... and me ;0) 

While I displayed them in their original orange craft-paint finish for years

the paint began to wear off after two decades, and I decided that it was finally time

to make them match the rest of my pale color scheme.

I repainted them in a creamy ivory color, and displayed them with more elegant surroundings:

Whether you use colored clay or paint the finished pumpkins, 

this clay craft is something the whole family can enjoy -

and it's made using ingredients from your pantry!

The recipe and instructions are below, so you can make your own.

Happy Fall!!!

CORNSTARCH CLAY Mini PUMPKINS

---

1 c. cornstarch
1 1/2 c. baking soda
1 c. cold water
Food coloring if you wish to use colored clay

Saucepan
Toothpicks
Cookie Sheet

Combine ingredients in saucepan.
Stir gently while cooking on medium heat stovetop until liquid solidifies and clay forms. 

Remove from heat. Turn off burner.

Remove clay from saucepan and place on cutting board to let cool.

Knead clay for a few minutes to create smooth texture. If the clay cracks as you knead it, add a few drops of water and keep kneading.

Form balls of various sizes. [For best drying results, do not make balls larger than 2" diameter.]

Press down on top of ball lightly to form a more pumpkin-like shape.

Use toothpick to score lines like pumpkin grooves. 

Make indentation on top of pumpkin for stem to sit in.

Form small cylinder,  and squish both ends to look like a stem.

Place stem into indentation on top of pumpkin, and use toothpick to press edges together. 

[you can break a toothpick and insert it into the middle of the stem, then into the pumpkin to help anchor it, if you wish]

**my friend David at BasilicusJones Home used real twigs, broken into small lengths, for his stems. Cute idea!**

Add details into pumpkins to make faces, if you wish, using toothpicks, nut picks, dental tools, etc.

Place on cookie sheet and Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees, or harden at room temperature overnight. 

Paint if you wish, then seal with clear acrylic spray paint.
When not being used, store in a ziploc plastic bag to prevent moisture from  reaching pumpkins.

I hope you enjoy this easy fall craft! Want MORE great pumpkin ideas from Deb?

Check out my Original Glass Lamp Globe Pumpkins
and my Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkin Tutorial

shared online:



Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk | DIY Pumpkin Projects

It's Not Too Late to Get Your SPOOK On!

Looking for last minute Halloween decor ideas?
(it's okay!)

Have no fear! I have a TREAT for you in my archives:
a bunch of my trademark 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' TM ideas...

just click on the 'read more' link!

Madre de Dio de Los Muertos!

Having spent more than 35 years as a retail display designer and stylist,
I have a great appreciation for this art of merchandising products - when it is done right.

And let me tell you, I live five miles from one of the BEST visual merchandising teams in the WORLD!
The geniuses at Roger's Gardens came up with this AWESOME idea,
and so for my first HALLOWEEN post, I just had to share it:

Paint Dia de Los Muertos [ 'Day of the Dead'] elements onto classical statuary.
MIND. BLOWN.

[I'm not sure, but those two on the bottom could be
Janet and Rocky from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.... smile]

These statues punctuate one of the SIX rooms in the 2013 Halloween House - 

a warren of six rooms on the grounds of the nursery that is transformed each fall

into a wonderland of scary delights.

This year, the theme is 'Night Gallery', and everything reflects a haunted museum/art gallery.
Ghoulishly clever!

Yes, you COULD do this!
Every time I walk into a thrift store, there's some errant knick-knack on a shelf

that looks like Marie Antoinette or Caesar or George Washington...

[usually they are concealing an AVON bath oil bottle, but whatever! They'll work!]

Paint them with flat white paint and then get busy adding dio de los muertes (Day of the Dead) motifs using paint pens, felt markers, poster paint, craft paint

....and those stale old 'busts' will be history. or... 'busted'. 

Take your pick! And have fun!

I have more photos of other brilliant ideas that they came up with, 

which translate into things for you to try at home... 

and I'll try to break them down into easy steps to get a similar look

without having a lifetime of experience in visual effects... stay tuned!

Photo credit: Debi Ward Kennedy . Photos of Rogers' Gardens displays

'as seen in BHG!'

 A few weeks ago, I received a very nice message from LuLu Tapp,

owner and photographer extraordinaire from DustyLu Interiors & Photography in Los Angeles.
She let me know that my little pumpkins were going to appear

in the feature on her lovely home

in the Better Homes & Gardens Halloween Tricks & Treats 2013!

After I picked myself up off the floor, I thanked her. Profusely!
And I've been on the lookout for the issue ever since.

Monday, she messaged me "Hey Deb!!! Its out its out!!! On newsstands now!!!Woot woot!"

At nearly the same time, a friend sent me the cover shot shown above,

then another friend sent me an interior image that includes my 2012 Harvest pumpkins:

This is one of Lulu's photos of her gorgeous home from the magazine... LOVE!

Being able to use the words 'As Seen in BHG' is just a dream come true -

I am so very thankful for the opportunity.
I originated this design, and have been making and selling them for many years,
and it's nice to finally be 'noticed' this way.

I saw a comment that Lulu made on Instagram and it made me do backflips:
"Better Homes and Gardens editor was flipping over the pumpkins and botanicals  -
I think she wanted to take them!!! Lolol"

Lulu discovered my original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins last fall, at Kymberley Fraser's store 'A Beautiful Mess'.

They looked like this in her display:

Thank you again, Kymberley, for your support!