a found & foraged flag

you know, i love decorating with red white and blue
just as much as the next patriotic American... but... 

what if i don't want to use red and blue in my home, 

and want to stick with white + warm neutrals?

well... i found a way to do exactly that, and still have a focus on the flag for the Fourth of July!

i was cleaning out the garage (which may just be a summer-long project, i tell you...)

and found a bunch of materials left over
from when i closed the homewardFOUND shop last March.

when i looked at the weathered white fence pickets,
and the blue-ish zinc metal scraps, i saw a flag.

 so i got busy assembling it on the workbench...
and that metal in the top photo isn't what you think it is!

...continue reading to see how i made my own faux zinc!

diy fourth of july

Fourth of July weekend is coming up in just DAYS,
and no matter where or how you are celebrating
during this crazy quarantine you probably need some easy 'use what you have' ideas!

so i've pulled together all of the previous red, white & blue projects, ideas, & decor
that i've shared here at homewardFOUND since 2012

to inspire your patriotic celebrations!

continue reading to see them all...

summer kickoff: red, white & blue

 over the years i've shared so many 'fast, cheap & easy'TM tips for decorating...

and my faves are always the party themes!

the 'official' start of summer is on the horizon! 

don't you agree that summer parties should be EASY to pull together? 

uncomplicated? fun? whimsical? and inexpensive? i thought you would! 

so let's use stuff we already have - nothing precious or expensive, just simple.

continue reading for one of my easiest centerpieces EVER - plus a few helpful tips...

Red, White and Blue - Water?!

 my 'famous' strawberry & blueberry flavored water

was featured in a past post about front porch decor here on the blog.
it really is pretty, isn't it?!
I made and served this beverage at the vintage shows that I hosted on my farm in Washington,
and it was included in one of the articles i wrote for a magazine.

It's a simple 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' idea (my trademark!) for summer entertaining:

Just put layers of frozen blueberries, ice cubes, and fresh strawberries

in an old glass jar, then fill the jar with water.

They flavor the water ever so subtly - SO refreshing on a hot day - 
and it looks absolutely perfect for a patriotic party!

I can't believe how many times that image has been shared and pinned since then! 
It's my most popular pin EVER, so I want to thank you for the love!

i've always thought that photo was too dark, 
but i can't remove it because of all of the pins & shares - 
so i've added a better, edited image up above in this post and re-pinned it!

You can see another version of my flavored water here

and here

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

the How To Home | Project Inspire{d} #274

creatively beth | team creative crafts linky party #147 (2023)

thank you for featuring my project, Miss Beth!

memorial day, labor day, fourth of july, patriotic party decor, red white and blue decor,
red white and blue berry water, entertaining, patriotic party drinks, diy, homeward found decor

NEW! Sweet Sweater Pops!

so a funny thing happened while i was creating my last blog post...

i was typing in additional ideas for accessories that one might use

on one's own versions of my Sweet Sweater Sandbabies.

things like ball caps popped into my mind. and THAT led me down a rabbit hole...

it went something like this:

"yeah! ball caps! ball caps?! baseball! hot dogs! beer! popcorn! 

POPCORN??!! waaaaaiiiiiiiit a minute... i have...."

at which point i ran out of my studio to the garage, to the party supply bins,

where i found the paper and plastic popcorn containers i knew were in there.

i returned to my studio and dragged out the box with sweater remnants,

and there was a bag filled with wonky fuzzy yarn that is the color of UNbuttered popcorn.

my crazy brain puts two and two together and the result is those guys up above:
Sweet Sweater Pops!

Red, White, and Blue PATRIOTIC Pops.

and then the ideas REALLY started poppin'... continue reading to see!

easy summer decor: all bottled up!

Memorial Day Weekend is here (in the States, anyway)

and that means it's time for the big 'summer kickoff'...

the project i'm sharing today is a re-do and throw-back

to some of my patriotic red, white and blue summer decor from the past

(i've linked that below this post)

but the new version fits my current 'green era' obsession.

 it's another 'throw it together in a minute' decor trick

that can be replicated in SO many ways on a table, mantel, bookshelf, and more. 

'summerizing' your living spaces is an easy way to embrace the season...
quick additions of simple elements will change the feel of your home!

continue reading to see a few of the ways i've used glass bottles...

It's All Bottled Up!

Don't you just LOVE it when you find something you already have
that you can make use of for your upcoming party or holiday decor? I do!

I was searching through the garage cabinets one day for paint,

and discovered a hoard of vintage soft drink bottles under there!

I knew exactly what I'd use them for: flower vases in a patriotic tablescape...

The vintage Coke and Pepsi graphics on the bottles
coordinate perfectly with the patriotic color scheme in this summer setting by the pool...

I even used some blue blown-glass plant watering bulbs to bring in more color,

because it doesn't always HAVE to be about flowers in your centerpiece.

Click the 'Read More' link for more photos and ideas!

fourth of july decor roundup!

 i'm being lazy right now and NOT creating any new summer decor content
for the Fourth of July.

but that doesn't mean i don't have loads of previous projects

to inspire your celebrations!

click HERE to see ALL of my past fourth of july blog posts & projects
(the first four are yellow - but they'd be perfect in red, white and blue!)

see more inspo on my July Pinterest board

continue viewing post...

Raise the Stakes: Poker Chip Decor!

A few weeks ago I shared a buncha' uses for a metal plant stand
that I found at a local flea market.

Another treasure was unearthed that day, and I've been waiting to use it...

I snagged a HUGE bag of vintage plastic poker chips for FIVE BUCKS.
These are thick, heavy almost 'bakelite'/resin chips,

and as soon as I saw them I knew what I'd do with them:

Fill up clear glass apothecary jars!

One jar is totally filled with the chips (background).

The front jar has a glass vase hidden in the center, surrounded by the poker chips.

That glass is holding a candle, but could also hold fresh flowers  - 
red, white, and blue ones, of course :) 

This is a simple arrangement with patriotic summer style

for your entry, guest bath, or kitchen counter.

Speaking of the kitchen: 

vintage poker chips make GREAT fridge magnets, too!

Just glue a small round magnet to the back of the chip.
[ I did the same with a souvenir wooden coin, just because it fit the patriotic theme! ]

PS: the projects listed above in the photo are all past posts - 
find links in my sidebar under 'Top Projects'!

As long as you can keep the boys in the house from grabbing the chips for poker games, 
you're good all summer long! ;)

patriotic wall art

this combination of vintage sheet music and a salvaged vintage bottle
is a 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'TM project for summer,
one that's easy to create and enjoyable for the whole season!

A 1" pine board scrap is painted, then covered with a piece of vintage sheet music
[the one above is 'America the Beautiful'- perfect for July decor!]

A piece of baling wire holds the bottle securely on the board.
Put a screw into the front of the board and wrap a wire around it, then tightly around the bottle.
[make it possible to untwist the wire and remove the bottle, so you can fill with water]
Then put two screws into the top outer corners of the board, 

and attach another wire to hang the whole thing on the wall.

I also added a few patriotic words snipped from old books to the front of the bottles.
[I only use damaged books for that!]

Place a single flower in the vase, or perhaps a vintage flag!

i made these years ago and sold them at a vintage show,
and displayed them hanging on an old crib spring, that was hung on the barn wall:

Don't have scrap wood?

Grab some from the scrap bins at the local hardware store.
Don't have vintage sheet music?
Look online for images you can download and print, or use a magazine or book page instead.

 And even a new bottle will work for this project!

See more of my embellished bottle creations here

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #534

Sweet Summertime Front Porch

it's time to start thinking about SUMMER!
To me, summer brings to mind front porches...

I love front porches, and dreamed all my life of having a home with one.
The swing was my favorite spot to sit on the front porch
of my island home in Washington state...

smelling the field grass and the sea air, all at once.
Watching the birds and eagles and deer and horses.
Enjoying the sunshine - and the rain - from this safe little perch.
Looking out across the fields where my antique show was held...

 I was lucky enough to have this one for just a while.
It really, truly was my Retreat ;0)
[My friend Elise of Elise Marie Photography took these two photos and I am SO GLAD she did]
 

I don't live in this beautiful farmhouse on five acres 
on Camano Island, Washington anymore...
but I still love the memory of it. 

 No, I didn't prop and style the heck outta' my porch for these photos - 

this is how it looked every day, all summer long. Simple.

 You may find that really funny, coming from a decorator, stylist, and writer

who is photographing her porch for a magazine story, 
but my thing is I just wanna' be REAL.

That's why I loved writing for FOLK Magazine back then...
It was all about Real. American. Living. Not photo sets.
[ then I found out more about what was going on, 
and quickly stopped writing for that publication ]

You can create a simple front porch setting, too:
* Gather up a bench or a few chairs
[check craigslist, thrift shops, and of course curbs on trash day!] 
* Add a table to hold a drink 
[what about an upside-down crate, or plant pot?]
* Finish with a few pillows and colorful decor accents.

Whether it's sprawled across the whole front of your house or is a small covered entry,
your porch can become an oasis of relaxation this summer.

I had another small covered porch on the back of this house, just off the dining room.
I tucked a vintage metal folding bed out there, positioned like a lounge chair
(with the back up at an angle) piled it with pillows,
and hung curtains on the porch posts to enclose the space a bit.
It was a lovely, private place to greet the morning sunrise...

I love this photo!

If I do a decor book, this will be the cover.

The quilt on the swing was a family heirloom. 

The flags popped into a Coke bottle were a last-minute thought -
see more easy summer decor ideas like this in this post!

To change the look of the porch,
it was easy to replace these simple colorful accents with something else.

 Since we are working with a Red, White and Blue theme here today,
I thought I'd share a 'Fast, Cheap & Easy' party tip:

A refreshing and very patriotic version of flavored water

Just put layers of frozen blueberries, ice cubes, and fresh strawberries 

in an old glass jar, then fill the jar with water.

They flavor the water ever so subtly - SO refreshing on a hot day!

Below is a shot of my 'Sweet Retreats' column
that appeared in Issue V of FOLK Magazine in 2012,

using some of the images I am sharing here...

 My post is also featured in a hometalk e-newsletter!

What about you? Where is YOUR favorite place to relax and while away the summer?

EDITED 6/15 TO ADD:

In Spring, 2015, three and a half years after I moved out of my dream house
and even after I stopped posting new content here on my blog,
I came across a piece of art that I quite simply HAD to buy: 

This piece is called 'Shore House', by artist Zhen Huan Lu.

Do you see why I had to get it?
 It's very nearly the exact same setting as my own front porch,
right down to the 'stop sign'-shaped window beside the front door.

Amazing.

Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue!

 Memorial Day Weekend is the official kick-off to Summer
[and oh, are we glad it's here!]

For our first Summertime post, I offer you some Patriotic Inspiration

for Red White & Blue table decor...

and a fun way to add something special to your place settings:

use old game boards as placemats!

It's pretty easy to find Scrabble boards (nice because they are red, white, blue, and tan)

and other old game boards at thrift stores - 

usually, the pieces are missing from games but the boards are still in the box.

If you DO find one with pieces, you can spell out your guests' names!

Don't forget about my tutorial for making Giant Letter Tiles as coasters, too!

shared online:

A Little Claireification | Best of the Weekend

Funky Junk Interiors | Party Junk

Nauti, Nauti....

In a recent post, I shared the flag that I found this week at the Disney cast member outlet store.
I found something else there that day:
Nautical signal flags, all in red, white, and blue!

Measuring @ 12 by 16 inches and made of nylon,
these babies are nearly brand new (I have no idea where they were used at the resort)

and they only set me back a dollar each!

They present creative opportunities for summertime decorating.
My first idea was to turn them into a decorative banner for the backyard:

I simply threaded the grommets on each flag onto a length of seam binding ribbon,

tied & swagged it from the strands of patio lights already installed overhead,

then used miniature white clothespins to keep the flags from sliding on the line.
[ note that the flag fabric is no where near the light bulbs. ]
Fluttering in the breeze, they bring bright patriotic color to the space.

So then I thought... what ELSE can I do with these out here?
What about a tablescape?

These flags lend themselves perfectly for use as placemats (easily washable nylon)

and they also bring color to the centerpiece-

simply a blue metal water cup filled with red geraniums from the yard.

They create a Nautical theme without too much fuss, 

and make simple details shine:

Easy little touches like folding a napkin into a sailboat shape make all the difference -

and yet take just seconds.
The white plastic food basket is available at Dollar Tree stores!

Picnic or poolside place setting tip:
Place plastic / paper cup over a (full) soda can or bottle to keep the cup from blowing away.

I know most DIY / Decor Bloggers will shudder that I actually put this super-simple table in a post,
but Red Solo Cups have their place (and it's not always at a kegger). 
Sometimes you just want easy. 

Forget the foofing and fussing and planning, and just sit back and enjoy - 

then dump the disposable plastic dishes in the trash.
I'm not advocating doing this ALL the time, mind you, 

but some days just call for EASY.
It's SUMMER, for goodness sakes!
[ More on THAT subject in Monday's post......]
.

... and you know what the perfect front door 'welcome' would be for this look, right?

uh huh.
seen sixty gazillion times on Pinterest, this utterly brilliant design and photo is by
Tell It to Your Neighbor

(so, see, you don't have to throw out the cups after all. CRAFT with 'em!).

shared online:

Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed


Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Creative Country Mom | Home Sweet Garden Party
.