scrap paper posies

some days, we just need a break. right? 
a chance to rest, an opportunity to cut loose, a moment to relax.
not every project has to be a ground-breaking new invention. or a massive undertaking.
sometimes - especially during a worldwide shutdown -
we just need some mindless activity to distract ourselves from anxious thoughts.

so while i've completed some big projects over the past few months,
and the muses have been kind enough to lead me in the direction of new creations,
i've also given myself the gift of time to PLAY. as in: projects just for FUN.
not necessarily to blog about, because they aren't always AMAZING,
but to sit back for a time and play around - and see where it goes.
i'll look at something in my studio and think 'what if i.....' 
and then i'm off, trying something new.

no matter what i am making, i always have fun playing with paper, scissors, and glue.

(sometimes my creative life feels like kindergarten....)

my challenge to myself these past four months has been to ONLY use what i have here at home.
(yes, the vintage roll of crepe paper from a recent post broke that rule...
but i hadn't gone out specifically shopping for craft supplies.)
i've got a lot of stuff around here, so there are ample 'art supplies' at hand.
and rarely do i use things the way they were intended to be used.
i just see things.... differently.

take gift wrap paper, for instance.... sure, i wrap gifts with it. 

but it's basically an art supply, right? paper of any kind is an art supply. 

oh, how i love art supplies. always have. even when they aren't from an 'art store'.
even when it's technically trash...

these scrap paper posies turn trash into treasure,
and are a quick project, perfect for de-stressing on a hot summer day!

continue reading to see where the inspiration for these colorful blooms came from...

repurposed wire lampshade mobile

wire has made an appearance in my projects on this blog many times,

from the various ways i have used wire tomato cages and wire lampshade frames,

to the simple crowns, cages, and domes i have fashioned from this inexpensive material.

earlier this summer, i grabbed some wire items that i've created in the past,

and combined them with wire lampshade frames and a few new finds

to create a whimsical wire mobile in my studio.

i love how it adds movement and color to the room

and because it's overhead, it takes up no space at all!

continue reading for the incredibly simple way it is suspended...

festive 'foo foo faux food' for the fourth!

a miracle happened yesterday... a thrift store near us was OPEN!

so, masked up with sanitizing wipes in hand, Mom and i tiptoed through the door

and were welcomed by a cheerful young lady who was wiping down the register counter.

only one other person was in the store, so we felt quite safe.

and on the way to the back of the shop, 

where there are many many bookshelves filled with many many books 

- for just ten cents each, which is why we LOVE this thrift shop! - 

i spied a brand new roll of vintage crepe paper (probably from the 70's)

and my weakness for vintage paper ephemera began nagging at me. 

(spurred on by the fact that i haven't been out thrifting since February!)

yes, i bought it. i spent a whole TWENTY FIVE CENTS on it!

nope, i had NO IDEA what i was going to use it for. i just couldn't resist.

but then i came home, sat it on the sideboard in my studio,

 next to a few small bottles holding old paper flags.

and an idea for a 'fast, cheap, & easy' accent for the Fourth of July was born!

click through to see the details...

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...

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!

NEW! Sweet Sweater Sandbabies!

in my last post, i shared my new 'sweet sweater kakamora'

along with a 'flashback' to a previously unseen 'sweet sweater sandbaby':

and he was cute.... but he needed some color to fit into my studio/office decor!

so i grabbed some bright beach buckets, white beach hats,

one last tan sweater from my stash, and one tan chenille 'sweet sweater pumpkin'
and started playing around....

the happy result was these three adorable beach babies in colorful buckets!

oh, but wait... i didn't stop there! keep reading to see what happened NEXT!