Custom Water Bottle Labels

Here's another of my 'Fast, Cheap & Easy'TM decorating ideas -
just in time for your weekend picnic plans!

All you need are your water bottles and latex balloons in a color and theme that matches your party decor.

Cut off the top round part and the lower round part & neck of the balloon as shown in the image above then slide the MIDDLE section of the balloon over the water bottle. [remove the paper label from the bottle if it will show]
... and just like that, you've got customized labels!

I haven't seen these anywhere else (and I looked) so I am claiming this as an ORIGINAL idea!


shared online:

funky junk interiors |  new upcycled projects to make #584 (2021)

Easy Bandana Banner

Party Banners seem to be everywhere...
and while I know that it's not THAT hard to cut and glue or sew burlap or canvas to make one,
there's a SUPER EASY way to get this effect in no time at all...
and you'll be able to use the materials in other ways when you are done using it.
Getting double use out of decor elements? LOVE.

continue reading for my EASY version of a banner, 
made with Bandanas from the Dollar Store!

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!

Photo Finish

I love capturing scenes, light, nature, and settings in photos.

Wherever I go, I have a camera with me. Even if it's just my iPhone.
And I take a LOT of photos!

But it took me YEARS to realize that my own photos would be 'worthy' of being displayed in my home.

I'm not a trained photographer, I just photograph what I LOVE - 

and what better images to display in my own rooms than that?

Each season, I try to capture new images of natural colors and settings 
to add to my collection, and to display on my inspiration boards and in frames.

continue reading for more tips!

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

beachy summer color palette

In my mind, all seasonal inspiration begins with nature.
The combinations of color that appear in every natural setting on Earth are flawless...

consisting of perfectly coordinated shades and hues, contrasts and compliments.

So when people ask me 'How do you know what colors go together?'

or 'How do you pick a color scheme?',
I tell them to go outside.
Literally! Because it's outside, in nature, every season, that you'll find the 'perfect' color...

Case in Point: the photo shown above.

I snapped that image at Newport Beach, California in April.
It contains a perfect summer color scheme:

The palette of varied blues, grays, tans, browns, and whites

is crisp, fresh, and perfectly balanced between cool and warm tones, lights and darks.

This palette can be translated as a sleek modern look or a cozy country style.

Here's one way to create rooms around that palette:

Can you see it?
The palette of varied blues, grays, tans, browns, and whites?
It's there in all of the details, materials, and surfaces.

We've changed the proportion of color use from the beach photos -
instead of blue being the primary color, neutral tans secondary, and white accents,
We have white as the overwhelming primary color here, with neutral tans secondary,
then touches of blue as an accent. 

In my small Cottage, the color scheme remains the same in each room - 

white backdrops, neutral surfaces, and blue accents.
That helps the small spaces flow into one another and feel larger.
In a home with larger rooms and more space, blue could be used on some walls and furnishings.

Even the simplest accent - like an old door turned into a bulletin board - plays on that palette.
The decor is simple, fresh, and brings the feeling of summer days at the beach indoors.

A photo of a place you love to spend time is a PERFECT starting point for your decor!
If you love to go there on vacation, why not decorate your home to reflect that place, 

and enjoy it every day?!

[I've actually just completed a decor project with EXACTLY that premise, 

and will be sharing it in upcoming posts.]

So what says 'Summer' to you?
 The beach? The mountains? The lake? Mexico? Hawaii?
Find your inspiration and color schemes in the locales you love,
and bring that summer feeling HOME!