sunny paint palette wall art

bored yet?

no, not you - your KIDS!
i know, we're barely into summer vacay. but i know kids!
if you're looking for simple, cheap, 'trash to treasure' craft projects to keep 'em busy,

this post will show kids how to make their OWN sunshine!

last fall, i played around with some of my disposable paper & plastic plate paint palettes

and made paint palette pumpkins (link at end of post)

today i grabbed a few palettes that i've used as i paint all.the.things yellow,

and found ways to turn them into happy sunshine art!

continue reading for a few easy scrap paper crafts to brighten up your days...

Target fringe tree makeover

i don't let what's available at stores limit my decorating plans.

i just take what they provide and then add to it or rework it to make it fit MY style!

this little tree is a perfect example of that...

lots of people have the original version of this in their Christmas decor this year,

but none of theirs look like this!

some white paint and a few scraps of paint chips gave it a total makeover.

continue reading to see the before and after!

painted books?!

oh, yeah, you read that post title right... PAINTED books!

now, before the book-loving librarians, historians, and antiquarians

start ranting at me - lemme' 'splain:

i bought these six large encyclopedias from a thrift store

for ten cents each. three years ago.

miscellaneous volumes circa 1950, with covers that were yellowed, aged, cracked leather.

perfect for the store display i was using them as props in!

but since then, they've languished in a box in the garage. just gettin' older.

my decision was to either recycle them - seriously, the library does NOT want them donated - 

or do something creative with them to make them useful again.

so i turned to my trusty friend, Paint.
turns out a MAYkeover was exactly what they needed! 

continue reading to see where they live now...

merry and bright

anyone else agree with me that we really need a MERRY Christmas?!

2020 has been hard. we all know that.

as the holiday season approaches, we all seem to be

looking forward to decorating our homes and trees and front doors

to welcome the joy of the season - even if we can't welcome guests.

while the holidays might look different than usual this year,

we can all certainly make the best of them - and of us.

let's look to our childhood memories to fuel our imaginations,

and create a mood that brings a smile to the faces of those we love.

let's make it merry and bright!

continue reading to see what inspired me...

paint chip easter eggs - over easy!

if you've been around here any length of time, 

you know that i like my decorating projects 'fast, cheap, & easy'TM. my trademark phrase.

in this case, the project is 'over easy'! 

yeah, it's a pun, but it's also true - because this is a super-fast craft idea for spring & Easter.

.

continue reading for the easy how-to and how i've used them...

diy painted gift wrap ribbon

 

faced with a creative challenge, i usually turn to paint as a solution.

unable to find THE ribbon i had envisioned in my mind, i made my own.

time consuming? yeah. but very inexpensive, and totally worth the effort.

and yes, you can do this, too - no advanced paint techniques needed.

continue reading to see how completely devoted to a theme i can be!

painted easter eggs

while employing this mandatory time at home to accomplish some long-overdue tasks,

i've unearthed some goodies that i completely forgot that i still had!

(tell me i'm not alone. please. i can not be the only decor/craft-supply hoarder out here!)

.

seven ceramic eggs that i bought at a thrift shop years ago turned up in a box,

and as soon as i saw them, i decided to give them a makeover with paint -

and pictured them just as you see them in the image above.

because it's all about making do with what we have at home right now, yes? yes!

continue reading to see the before & after!

more embellished hearts!

the last two 'embellished' hearts i have to show you are quite simply
 'junk makeovers' of an old glass heart-shaped dish and another heart-shaped tin.
and one of those includes an easy-peasy way to add glitter to ANYTHING!

a tiered tray (made by stacking white dishes from the kitchen!)
holds a pretty yellow and white assortment of hearts - with a touch of gray -
and i love how cheerful it is in my studio 'photo spot' by the faux fireplace.

enjoy my last Valentine decor post!

continue reading to see a few 'before' and 'afters'...

pumpkins + mushrooms = 'shroomkins!

last spring, when i created my new Original Sweet Sweater 'Shrooms,

i ALSO had the idea for this project. i just ran outta' time to make them!
 and forgive me, but i gotta' be honest
and say that they are one of my FAVORITE creations ever!

since mushrooms are still having a moment,

and pumpkins are my JAM, i combined the two

to create these whimsical fall decor pieces

that i'm calling " 'shroomkins"

continue reading to learn how to make these -

from cheap styrofoam pumpkins and a pool noodle!

repurposed Christmas card wreath

one last wreath to share,
and this one's made from something we all have: old Christmas cards!

yep, i'd bet there are a few (dozen) cards stashed in with your holiday decor,
with graphics or photos so cute that you just couldn't toss them out.

this project will get those cards out of the box and up where you can see & enjoy them!

i love projects that make use of simple materials,
and i've always liked pulling out old holiday decorations and enjoying them in 'different' ways.
this combines the two in a simple paper craft.

continue reading for the easy how-to!

scrap paper heart wreath

my penchant for paper often pays off... which is good, because i keep EVERYTHING. 

  old magazines. brochures. cards. shopping bags. even business cards if they're cute!

this past year, i've been a bit better about tearing pages out of mags instead of keeping them.
(i almost broke a drawer in my studio because it was overloaded with heavy magazines.) 

so when my brain comes up with an idea for using said scrap paper
(usually at 3 in the morning)
i have a stash on hand that i can dig into, and it costs me nuthin'.
and you all know how i love making art & decor with everyday stuff!

in December, i shared a wreath like this made from old Christmas cards cut into circles.
this time, i cut paper into heart shapes - you could certainly make a heart-shaped wreath, too!
i even brought out a piece of paper that is one of the most valuable i have:
vintage. Disney. and i CUT IT UP. yeah, call me crazy.
but it's my fave part of this wreath!

continue reading to see how scrap paper becomes art...

a forest of Sweet Sweater Trees

grab a cuppa' something, friends, because this post is LONG!
i'm sharing three different types of sweater trees with you today...

each one easy as pie to make from simple everyday materials.
(hmmmmnnn... pie's not a bad idea, come to think of it...)

you'll see previous versions of the items i used
along with their fresh new look for this year's cozy theme.

got your tea? coffee? cocoa? wine? LOL...
continue reading to see all the details of this project!

Sweet Sweater Nativity

i've made a lot of things this year,
and this project ended up being my very favorite one.

i've selected it as my very first 'official' holiday decor post
because for me, this is the 'reason for the season' -
observing and celebrating the birth of Jesus.
it is at the foundation of my faith, and fills my soul with joy.

this project began with the beautiful blown glass art of artist Helle Mardahl...
i was so inspired by the luminous colors and soft forms of her art in photos on Instagram
and they immediately made me think of human forms.
i turned a few small ceramic vessels and some tiny tree ornaments
into a charmingly sweet and simple nativity scene that reflects her art.

after i added sweater scraps to the mix, i HAD to call this a 'Sweet Sweater Nativity'!

continue reading for the very easy details...

diy paper hearts wall art + garland

the wreath in my last post isn't the only way i am using paper hearts!
the freebie hearts cut from magazine pages and other scrap paper in my studio
have also become wall art and a mantel garland.

this is a really easy way to add a fun seasonal touch to your home
using what you have on hand already
(that's really been my Modus Operandi through this whole pandemic)

continue reading to see how easy it is to make home decor from scrap paper...

Sweet Sweater Santa hat tutorial

along with our homes, i think WE deserve some 'decorative' touches for the holiday season!

my original Sweet Sweater Santa hats have been my go-to December accessory for a decade now,

and wherever i wear them they garner smiles.

so i thought i'd share my SUPER easy method for making them!

continue reading for my easy NO SEW tutorial - 

PLUS some ideas for using them in other ways!

Merry Christmas!

i want to thank you so much for joining me over the past two months
as i have shared a lot of crazy colorful 'merry and bright!' inspiration for the holidays!

see all of my merry and bright! posts here

this simple nativity scene was a last-minute idea,
with a few paint chips quickly glued together in a house shape.
the figures you see are decades old, set up in our home when i was a little Debby.
saved, protected, and passed down, i set them up when my kids were small
and then watched my first grandson play with them when he was two.
they are an enduring reminder of my many memories of Christmas...

i chose a 'merry and bright!' theme this year not just because of the need for merriment,
but as my homage to creativity, to imagination, to childlike wonder.
staying creative this year has helped me more than i can explain,
to stay in a grateful and positive mindset during this pandemic.

my goal has been to use and REuse as much 'stuff' from home as i can,
shop for as little as possible, and just PLAY. it's been a fun creative exercise!

i hope that you are finding ways to express your creativity - 
and everyone is creative, in so many different ways - 
and that you've discovered how much joy you can create in your own life and home,
even when the world outside those doors is going a bit haywire.

let's carry that attitude into 2021, shall we?!

i wish you all a very merry (and bright!) Christmas
and a new year that holds hope, joy, and faith in your heart.


see you in January!

deb

'house of love' salvaged sign

every time i look at this project, i hear the song 'House of Love' in my head...

[if you're not old like me, you may not remember that song from the 90's,
recorded by friends (who later married) Amy Grant and Vince Gill.
it's an earworm, so if you want to hear it, there's a link after the post!]

this project is a re-use of something i first created last January - 
i've just changed it a bit and added to it. i love re-making old projects!

continue reading to see the before/after...

May flowers: buttercup

'chin up, buttercup!'

ever heard that one?

in my last post, i shared info about a May art challenge on Instagram.

i'm not posting a new project there every day,

but i did share my first one on May 2,

and i chose 'buttercup' for the letter 'B' prompt.

this was a new project for me, using materials in my existing stash,

and i had to work out the details as i went -

and now i'm sharing it as a tutorial here on the blog.

when i was finished making my buttercup, i added it to a larger art piece

that i had in mind when i chose this specific flower!

continue reading for my easy tutorial...