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!

have a ball with these pumpkins!

do you have a family full of sports fans?

oh, my friends, you're gonna' have a BALL with this idea! 😉

i was killing time before an appointment by walking thru a 'FIVE below' discount store,

and spied a bin filled with small basketballs in bright happy colors...

there was no yellow, but the minty green one caught my eye!

continue reading for tips on this SUPER fast & easy pumpkin decor project!

it takes a (gingerbread) village

how many of you have dreamed of making REAL gingerbread houses...

and then tried it? UGH! it's an exercise in futility, in my opinion!

(i'm a pretty good baker...
it's just getting them to stay together and upright that stumps me!)

i've found a totally 'deb' solution to that dilemma: 
just PAINT some ceramic houses to LOOK like gingerbread!

i took some little ceramic houses that i've had for a few years now

and gave them a simple makeover with brown and white paint

and now i have a darling 'gingerbread' village on my mantel

that matches the big 'gingerbread' dollhouse shared in my last post.

continue reading for details (and a peek BACK at how i used them before!)

Inspiration: Down Home Displays

 this past week i was at DOWN HOME American Country Antiques in Orange, California

shooting a story for FOLK Magazine's Holiday issue (November 2012)

there were SO many inspiring autumn display and decor ideas in the store
i found myself spinning around in circles to take it all in and photograph it!

i just had to share a few of my photos with you
(just the ones that won't be included in the magazine story)

the creative owners and dealers at this shop REALLY go above and beyond 

with their vignettes, themes, details, and presentation  - 

and the great part is you can find totally usable ideas that are easy to replicate in your home!

case in point, that wall o' crates shown in the photo up above. 

really, how much more simple can you get?

the interest is in the fact that the crates are all different sizes, filled with simple yet beautiful items.
wood crates, wire crates, wooden dresser drawers... use anything!

and then there's that metal SINK. be still my heart.

what a great idea - hang up an old metal washbasin or sink on the wall 

as a place to display seasonal decor.
it's an idea that would work perfectly on a big front porch, too...

 a picturesque gathering of gourds and pumpkins, bittersweet vines and leaves
fills an old metal wagon on top of a huge wood harvest table.

amazingly detailed and painted canvas pumpkins, made by hand - 

and i LOVE the old metal bread rack display fixture!

vintage Halloween collectables are one of the hottest items around, 

and this store has more of them in one place that i have ever seen.

look at this charming party scene using vintage items...

 i know it gives ME some great ideas! how about you?

 the two ladies who created this sweet display AND the canvas pumpkins 

won the award for  'Best Fall Theme Booth Display' - 

voted on by their fellow dealers! well done, girls!

in a spooky dusty corner of the shop, you'll find a mad scientist's lab!

creepy and gothic apothecary jars filled with specimens, 

dusty old books and yellowed photos and even a gargoyle...
if there can be a style called 'shabby chic', then THIS has to be called 'creepy chic'!

 the store completely changes with every season, 

so no matter when you visit, you'll find new delights around every decorated corner!

[and i haven't even shown you the best stuff here, because those photos are going into the magazine]

thank you, owners peggy and don arbenz for your time,

and for letting me take 245 photos of your beautiful store!

Down Home American Country Antiques

 200 East Chapman Avenue  Orange, CA 92866

www.downhomeantiques.com

'dipped' faux concrete pumpkins

one of my most popular fall tutorials since i published it seven years ago

has been my faux concrete painting tutorial.

i've used this treatment on just about every kind of pumpkin,

as well as on styrofoam wig heads, lamps, urns, and even a swan planter
to achieve an elegant 'statuary' effect.

this year, i'm combining that faux concrete look

with a current trend: the 'paint dipped' accent color.

it's been applied on the legs of furniture, the bottoms of picture frames, and more

in many popular shelter mags, websites, and products...

but i haven't seen it done on pumpkins yet!

both paint applications are quite easy - with endless variations possible.

continue reading for more details, a link to my faux concrete tutorial,

and a secret hiding in the photo above!

why 'seasonal' decorating?

i get that question a lot: "why do you change your home decor with the season?"

it's not such a foreign concept, really. most people do this at certain points in the year -
Halloween, Christmas, Fourth of July, Easter.

they bring out decor elements that are specific to those holidays to enhance their enjoyment.

i grew up with a Mom who did that, making holidays special.

decorating for winter, spring, summer, and autumn is a similar approach...

simple, subtle changes in color and accessories can make a dramatic difference

in how a room feels, and how i live in it.

for example, the room shown above... it's filled with warm neutral hues and soft textures,

the perfect place to cozy up on a rainy fall day.

but i wouldn't want to live in it like that during a hot summer!

with a few simple changes, the mood shifts and the room feels appropriate to the season.

 

every season brings a new design scheme, refreshing the space and me with new energy. 

and when i say 'new design scheme', i'm not talking totally redecorating a room.

i'm not advocating spending a bundle - of money OR time - several times a year.

easy changes - swapping out colorful accessories and bringing in touches of nature - 

are my main methods for bringing the beauty of a new season indoors.

it doesn't take a lot of money or effort to get results like this - just imagination!

continue reading to see the room above change through the seasons of a year...

Chandelier Fountain

I was enjoying the lovely blooming surroundings at local garden retailer Roger's Gardens on Sunday...

reveling in the birdsong, snapping photos of the roses,

and taking in the incredible feats of retail display work throughout their vast property.

The visual team is AWESOME!

... and then I rounded a corner and my jaw hit the floor.
I stand corrected: The visual team is made up of GODS.

Look again at the photo above.
Do you see what I see?  What assaulted my senses as I rounded that corner?

There is a stream of WATER dripping down that crystal chandelier

and into the fountain below!

There are many chandeliers in their visual prop closet, used in many ways in the store...

 they also had them over the Halloween banquet table that I photographed last fall:

My guess is that this chandelier somehow broke and was no longer functioning

so they came up with a STUNNING new way to use it.

It's one of the most original ideas I have seen, which is why I just had to share it with you!

In answer to the "How'd they DO that?" question in my head
[that may just be rattling your brain right now],

here's the answer:

 I spied a large fountain tube running from the fountain base up a nearby post, 

across the ceiling,  and down the back side of the chandelier

where it funneled water down the center of the chandelier and out the bottom.
[I didn't see the pump, but that thing has to be really powerful

to move water that far!]

NOTE: This chandelier is NOT electrified. There is no power to it.

They may have actually stripped out the electrical system, I don't know.

If you try to do this at home, please DO NOT use a working or wired chandelier.

A crystal chandelier that drips not only glistening, sparkling crystals... but also water. 

Now THAT's a way to make a splash!

I can just imagine doing this at a wedding reception,

or even in an elegant bathroom or greenhouse.
And what about a beautiful birdcage as a possible fountain?!

Isn't it fun to look at everyday things and see so many MORE possibilities???

Again, this is not MY project... I just saw it and wanted to share. The photos are mine.

Find Rogers Gardens in Newport Beach, CA and online here

shared online:

Blog Hop | DIY Doyenne

ping pong paddle painted cacti

i sometimes see something online that inspires me, 
and i take the idea a bit further...

add or subtract or just let it jump-start my imagination,

and end up creating my own new version of something.

i thought i'd share this view of a past project with you today...
it was inspired by someone else's project, i took it further with my own idea,
and i shared the BACK side of it last fall.
(to be honest, i like this side the best!)

continue reading to see all of the prickly details of my faux cacti!

The Holiday Tree: for Every Season

Let me tell you a story...

Monday, I was trying to come up with an idea for a post for today.
I had NUTHIN' - no how, no where. The well was DRY, my friends.
I was, frankly, 'too tired to be inspired'!!!
I posted on my facebook page and asked my HOMEees there to chime in, 

sharing their best tips for getting their creative MoJo back... and I got some great replies!

Carol took a very practical and restful tact:

'Take a day off from being creative... 

I find house cleaning to be very therapeutic and lets my brain rest.'
 

I joke that I only clean so I can decorate, 

but the truth is that cleaning is for me a bit like 'priming the canvas' is for a painter. 

It starts the creative engine running so ideas can flow!

Emily offered a virtual hug and a wide perspective:
'Awww... we've all been there! I usually just take a break and/or head outside.'
 

Great advice - because, really, is it ever possible to head outside into the beauty of nature
(where ever you are) and NOT be inspired?! I don't think so. 

Lilliam spoke words of a sage:
'Take a moment to just sit still, in silence and the inspiration for the right Idea will come to you. 

.Still.'

Oh, Lil, I try. I really DO. I'm just not a 'still' girl. 

I can walk on the beach for hours/miles. I can sit and read for hours.
But just sitting.... doing nothing.... waiting..... I just can't do it.
I hear the Jeopardy theme song every time I try!! (I CAN lie still for a massage, though!!)

So, after I read these words of wisdom, I decided to take a break.
I headed downstairs to the kitchen, to grab a fresh glass of ice water and then head outdoors...

and on the way into the kitchen, I walked past something.
I see it every day - in my peripheral vision.
I KNOW it's there, but it never really 'registers', if you know what I mean. It's just.... there.

But at THAT moment, I stopped.
I backed up a few steps and looked at it. For a good long while.
And while I did, I remembered something important.
That's when I KNEW that I had the content for this blog post!
So I ran upstairs, grabbed the camera, and went back down lickety-split

to snap a few images.

Aaaaaaand here we are.... today.

Do you want to know what I remembered?

That this small, inexpensive, simple decor element is something that I grew up with.

I remember it well from throughout my childhood.
And when I had my own children, I replicated it for them.

Now that THEY have children, they have replicated it, as well!

It's what we call 'The HOLIDAY Tree'.
(And it's not a Christmas tree by another name!)

It's a little tree that is decorated every season, for every holiday.

The idea is SO simple: It's a branch.
 As in, a branch off the tree in the yard or the nearby forest

or even purchased at the local craft store.
Not a BIG branch, just a lil' branch. Two feet tall or so.

It sits in a pot or planter or tin or box...

held in place by rocks or plaster of paris.

And there's pretty 'stuff' on the branches... 

little stuff, not heavy stuff:

We've used silly things like happy meal toys and action figures for Halloween,

vintage ornaments and mini candy canes at Christmas, 

bright plastic eggs for Easter, woven paper hearts for Valentine's Day, miniature flags in Summer,

everyone's favorite personal treasures for their birthday week, 

and some multi-colored plastic mini lights that look like the M&M characters.
 
Small things all, but the important thing was that every month there was a day 
when we all worked together to create & find fun things to decorate the Holiday Tree with.

I still have those colored plastic M&M light covers, BTW ;)

Mom uses Dollar Tree garlands and tiny ornaments 

and in this photo, she even used a felt coaster owl!
Anything goes.

The tree always sat somewhere we'd pass by it every day, 

so that the enjoyment was constant...

When I was a kid, the Holiday Tree sat on the HiFi (yes, I am OLD!) in the living room.
When my kids were young, our Holiday Tree sat on top of a cabinet on the stair landing or in the family room.

Right now, my Mom's Holiday tree is sitting on her buffet,  next to the kitchen door - which is where I saw it on Monday.

It's been in the room all along, decorated differently each season... but until Monday, 

I had completely forgotten about how much this tradition is a part of me. A part of my family.
A huge part of why decorating for every season is what I do. 

Now that I remember, I am so thankful for the simple ways that my Mom taught me about creativity. 

They've stayed with me... and my kids and grandkids. It's 'Generational Creativity'!

shared online:

Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed

a Bewitched Mirror Trick

while my last post was about adding witch hats to photos,

here is yet another easy way to turn mere mortals into bewitched souls...

add a paper witch hat to a mirror. 

yes, it's really that simple!

cut out and tape a black paper witch hat to a mirror

[or crown, or clown hat, or any other kind of hat you like]

and when people walk by and look in the mirror, 

they'll see the hat 'sitting' on their head. it looks like it's floating:

this is miss Malia Karlinsky, writer for GalTime Seattle, photographer, 

and blogger extraordinaire over at Yesterday on Tuesday.

Malia snapped this photo of herself at one of my vintage events up in the Seattle area a few years ago,

where i had made use of the 'floating hat' mirror trick. 

the entire wall of this area of my shop was covered with old photos and book illustrations of women

that i had drawn black witch hats and funny witch shoes on. 

it was a gallery of witches, so to speak, 

and the hat on the mirror enabled the viewer to BECOME a witch while looking at the gallery. 

it was really cute, and everyone loved it! 

so there you go.... if you combine the two ideas, you'll have some bewitched decor!

perhaps for your powder room or entry hall, during a Halloween party?

[though if you did this with crowns, it could work for a birthday or any other occasion]

Tin Can 'Painted Pails'

Last fall, I shared a project that was a 'flashback' to something I had made long ago:
[ like, ah, WAY back in the NINETIES! LOL ]

Painted tin cans - I call them little 'Painted Pails'. 

I just found more photos of that product that I created for different seasons ;)
and since 'tin can crafts' seem to be THE hot trend right now,  

I figure why not share more inspiration?!

The photo above shows the Valentine version,

where the wire handles were bent into a heart shape.

The labels evolved from the very first Painted Pails I made in the Spring of 1995,

which looked like garden seed packets and fruit pie filling labels:

I also made versions of Painted Pails for Holiday | Winter:

The Happy Snowman versions had wire handles bent into 'top hat' shapes,

and also stackable snowmen made from several sizes of cans.

I made Painted Pails in Spring, for Easter:

... and the wire handles were bent into 'floppy ear' shapes.

and of course, there were the Pumpkin Painted Pails

 that I shared last fall in my Tin Can Painted Pail Post
 click for my TUTORIAL!...

I also made Painted Pails that looked like crayons. And Leprechauns. And Firecrackers.
But I really don't think more photos are needed for you to get the general idea.
If I were to guess as to how many tin cans I painted back then,
over a five year period that I was selling them at street fairs and in my tiny store,

I'd have to say it was about 50 cans a week. Yes, really!

I tell ya', I was pretty sick of painted tin cans by the time I was done!!!

The various holiday versions of these came about because every holiday,

I would go overboard to create a fun breakfast table setting for my four young children...

Balloons, streamers, napkins, and centerpiece would decorate the dining room.
The food would even match the holiday: 

pink milk and pancakes for Valentine's Day, green for St. Patrick's Day, orange for Halloween.
 I didn't spend a lot (I bought most of the stuff at thrift shops)

but it was so much fun to decorate the table after they had gone to bed,

and then watch them get all excited the next morning!

And at each place setting, they'd find a Painted Pail -

filled to the brim with art supplies and candy and a little stuffed animal.

It was just a simple thing I could do to make them happy.
For me, that is always the best part of crafting & decorating...

shared online:

One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed 

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}