Warm Winter Whites

 making use of what we've got on hand or can get for a bargain makes decorating fun!

gathering together some items in tones of white 

was the starting point for some fresh winter decor over my desk...
i started with what i have on hand - everyday stuff and craft supplies -
then i picked up four new items, and spent about half an hour arranging them all.

what i already had on hand

vintage sheet music, postcard, and white-bound book

scrolly white picture frame seen in this post

vintage ivory carnations and new silk tulips

the sweater-wrapped bar glass with candle from this post

vintage white rosary

white ironstone & ceramic creamers, white ceramic coffee cup,
and white milk glass slipper

tiny ivory doily and the resin crystal in the small creamer

two white shelves on the wall

what i added

three felt snowflakes

[these are christmas ornaments, found on sale at target for 50 cents each!]

one white scalloped dessert plate with a snowflake pattern on it
[found on sale at HOMEgoods for $2.99]

what i spent: $4.50
[and THAT is why it pays to hit the after-Christmas sales!
you can find all kinds of things to use for winter decor] 

the shelves hang over my desk, and are a great place to play with small seasonal changes.

you don't always have to do big things to make a big impact!

in a small room like my office, this is enough.

by mixing up various shades of white and cream, and several textures, 

it becomes a three-dimensional collage to play with...

a close up of the small plate from HOMEgoods reveals 

the 'damask'-like tone-on-tone snowflake pattern

vintage sheet music and books make a warm backdrop for the white felt snowflakes

and this charming glass slipper

this photo looks dark, but i actually wanted it lit this way...

 it highlights the engraved print on the sweater-wrapped bar glass.

i paid 45 cents for that glass at a Goodwill store over ten years ago!

what do you have on hand already that you could gather up
and use to create a fresh new grouping?
clear crystal? white ironstone? or perhaps some vibrant colored glass?
take a look in your cupboards and see what is waiting there!

another thing i did with the 50 cent snowflake ornaments was add them to a wreath!

this cozy wreath was made by simply wrapping a long scarf around a straw form,

and then embellishing it with the dangling crystal and the snowflake for winter

(i made the scarf by sewing scraps of various sweaters together into a patchwork)

 

you can find the easy step-by-step instructions on my tutorial page.

[no, it's not my original idea! but it's a GOOD idea, 

and i love to share those, too!]

shared online:

common ground |  be inspired friday 

Fast, Cheap & Easy: framed sweaters as art!

 well, before we move off of the sweater subject, 

i gotta' share THIS ONE with you:

framed sweaters as art!

this came about one day when i was working on a wall assemblage of mirrors and frames:

 i didn't like that the scrolly little frame was empty...

so i had to 'do something' with it.

which, generally, is how the best projects start!

so i grabbed a vintage cashmere sweater that i had, 

which had an embellished beaded snowflake on it

and cut that part of the sweater out.

i STAPLED it to a piece of cardboard to fit the frame.

then popped it into the frame

and hung it back up on the wall.

and now i can't find a photo of that wall collage when it was finished. 

i don't live there anymore, so.... just imagine it on the wall, ok?!

of course you could use any fabric, any motif, in any season, to create this.

you could embellish the fabric yourself, too.

i just happen to be a lil' bit crazy about sweaters!

Sweater-Covered Vases

 I love sharing creative ideas for EASY seasonal decor... like

wrapping thrifted glass vases with sweaters!

Way back in 2007, I saw a great idea for these on green design pro Danny Seo's blog,
and I created some of my own using hot pink and chartreuse green angora sweaters.
Sadly, I've lost the photos of both Danny's AND mine :(

...obviously this idea really appeals to me, 'the sweater queen'!

it's a great way to 'cozy up' accessories for winter... and SO EASY
that I've done this every winter, in many color combinations

i use the entire arm of a sweater to cover various sizes of glass cylinder vases

 you simply cut the sleeve off of a sweater, and slide it over a glass cylinder vase.

pull the sleeve all the way up the vase for a smooth look,

or scrunch it down like legwarmers for more texture.

small children's sized sweaters work well over drinking glasses as votive candle holders
regular adult sizes fit well over almost every size of medium or tall cylinder vases

the largest vase pictured needed a different approach to surround it with a sweater arm,
because it was too wide for a sweater arm to slip over it.

here's what i did:

 while I prefer to stick with my pale neutral palette,
you can use any color and texture sweater for this project -

though thicker textures work best on larger vases.

[be sure to keep flammable fabric away from candle flames]

Linked Up:

a crafty soiree / yesterday on tuesday

be inspired friday / common ground

and thank you to Jen on Social Salutations for featuring this post!

welcome winter...

it's time to clear out the Christmas decor and freshen our rooms for time spent indoors...
let's cozy them up and make them inviting with stuff you probably already have!
let's greet the new year with a happy home and a happy heart

homewardFOUND is ideas, inspiration, tutorials, tips & tricks 

for easy seasonal decorating using everyday finds...

Winter Decorating: Glass Lamp Globe 'Snowballs'!

back in a post last fall, i shared a tutorial for my original Glass Globe Pumpkins with you
[thank you for making that post my all-time #1 post, by the way!]

but i use those glass light globes in different ways all year long!

here's what i do with them in the winter:

* take the simple clear glass ones, 

and make them into snowglobes...

* find small figurines at thrift shops or the dollar store
* spray paint them gloss white

* hot glue them inside a shallow white bowl or pedestal

[i like using hot glue  - 
because if i want to change it all later, i can!]
 

*flip the globe upside down with the opening facing up - 
then add some snow flakes or glitter inside.
* then put a bead of hot glue all along the rim of the globe, 
and place the base upside down onto the glass globe's opening.
* trim the edge of the base with vintage trims, ribbon, jewelry if you like.

 * in the globe shown below, i also glued a clear plastic snowflake behind the little angel figure.

You can use glass fishbowls, too!

 ________________________

* nestle them into arrangements of greens and cones,

in urns and buckets and boxes...

put night lights on an extension cord inside them so they'll glow!

You can use a strand of mini-lights for outdoor use, as well...

* another easy way to use these is just to fill up a beautiful urn, bowl, wire basket, or other container.

the sunshine pouring in the windows is enough to light them up

and show off the beautiful patterns in the glass...

my wire urn below was one of my favorite display pieces for these!

 they work inside and out -
try heaping them into a wheelbarrow in the garden, 

and lit them with mini-lights!

... and no, that's NOT all!
i'll have more ideas for these when SPRING comes!

I'm Dreaming of a ....

 just a few last images of White Christmas decor to send us off to dreamland tonight!

may your days be merry and bright... and may all your Christmases be white!

i want to thank you all so much 

for joining me here at HOMEWARDfound this year...

i truly appreciate the amazing encouragement and support

that you have all offered through your comments, likes, shares, pins, 

and purchases of the original products i offer.

i look forward to all of the decorating inspiration

to share with you for the seasons to come in 2013!

~ Debi Ward Kennedy

'Fast, Cheap & Easy' Last Minute Wrapping

we're down to the last-minute shopping and wrapping, aren't we?!

here's a Fast, Cheap & Easy solution for decorating your packages:

bows? schmoes. let's be more creative!

forget bows and ribbons. find something FUN to put on the front of your packages!
shown here are styrofoam and plastic snowflakes

[from the dollar store, naturally!]
a dot of hot glue or a sticky glue dot holds them onto the paper securely

then add a sticky label on top of the snowflake

and use stickers to spell out the recipient's name.

[ALL available at the dollar store, WalMart, etc]

 this little trick works on bags and on wrapping paper

and through it's a bit late, is a perfect solution for gifts to be shipped - there are no bows to squash!

what else could be used?
paper or felt cutouts, photographs, pages from a coloring book, a pair of fuzzy sox....

what can YOU find?