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1.02.2023

warm new year greetings

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happy new year, my friends!
i hope 2023 finds you healthy and happy...

every year, i learn something new. sometimes MANY somethings.
and this past year, i think i could sum up what i learned as:
"sometimes, you just have to do the thing."

this winter i've added a new element to my studio, shown in the photo above -
it's a heater that looks like a wood stove, 
and it works perfectly in tandem with my fake fireplace mantel built in 2020!

i had been thinking about doing this for over a month, but put it off.
(procrastination is my biggest challenge, seriously.)
then in Mid-December the temps dropped waaaaay lower than normal,
and my studio windows frosted over.
sometimes nature gives us a lil' helping hand to get us moving.

continue reading to learn more about my solution...

12.30.2022

my FAVE winter decor projects

all of the Christmas decor is packed up, and i've been thinking about winter decorating
and all of the many ways i've 'warmed up' my homes every winter over the years...
 some of those projects have been successful several times in more than one home
as i re-create them in new versions + colorways.

over the past ten years of blogging here at homeward found decor,
i've shared hundreds of my original diy home decor projects
in 733 posts since i launched this blog in August 2012.

if you've been reading my blog for the past decade, THANK YOU FRIENDS!
if you're new here, i hope you enjoy discovering some of my past creations
as i share a look back... 

continue reading for some of my FAVE winter decor projects!

12.26.2022

NEW! sweet sweater 'gingerbread' cakes!

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deb used to bake. uh huh. but now if deb bakes, deb eats.
getting older with a slowing metabolism sucks!
so now my approach to 'holiday treats' takes a different form...

i just make sweet things out of other things... like SWEATERS!

for the finishing touch on my Gingerbread Holiday theme this year,
i've created two all-new Sweet SweaterTM originals to inspire you:


an oh-so-trendy 'tall cake' and a lil' mini 'cake buddy'
all trimmed out with gingerbread houses, men, candy canes, snowflakes,
and some 'frosting' that couldn't be easier!

continue reading to see how these sweet treats came together - 
without a calorie in sight ;) 

12.20.2022

a sweet 'gingerbread' creche & nativity

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for me, Christmas is not just about decorating or food or gifts...
it's about the birth of Jesus.
so each year, i either bring out my childhood nativity set
or create a new rendition of a creche scene that coordinates with my theme.

this year, i reworked the simple nativity scene that i created last year,
and added a new element that reflects my 'gingerbread' theme.
while the nativity figures would certainly work without the creche,
i like the way it focuses attention onto the holy family.

continue reading for the details of how i made it...

12.13.2022

gingerbread theme Christmas tree

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i have always enjoyed using what i have and mixing it up differently
to create new themes & looks each holiday season.
and while i don't have nearly as many bins of ornaments & elements as i once did
(over fifty JUST for Christmas! now it's about 10)
i still pull from my stash each year and then make / makeover some elements.

continuing the 'Gingerbread Holiday' theme this year,
 the tree in my studio is decorated with elements and materials on hand
to tell the story of a snowy gingerbread village.

keep reading to see how it all came together
and a few of my tree decorating tips...

12.06.2022

diy gingerbread men + village wreath

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true to form, i've re-used one project in the creation of another!
you'll recognize these ceramic village houses and trees from my last post,
where i shared my 'gingerbread' makeover - with paint!
i love seeing how many ways i can use something,
and how i can expand a seasonal theme to encompass many different projects.

continue reading to learn some secrets about this one!

11.29.2022

it takes a (gingerbread) village

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how many of you have dreamed of making REAL gingerbread houses...
and then tried it? UGH! it's an exercise in futility, in my opinion!
(i'm a pretty good baker...
it's just getting them to stay together and upright that stumps me!)

i've found a totally 'deb' solution to that dilemma: 
just PAINT some ceramic houses to LOOK like gingerbread!

i took some little ceramic houses that i've had for a few years now
and gave them a simple makeover with brown and white paint
and now i have a darling 'gingerbread' village on my mantel
that matches the big 'gingerbread' dollhouse shared in my last post.

continue reading for details (and a peek BACK at how i used them before!)

11.22.2022

a 'gingerbread holiday' dollhouse

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because i squeezed in my last Thanksgiving post on Friday of last week,
it's finally time to share holiday decor!

 this first project was inspired by some halloween decor that i saw online
and you probably saw it, too...
dollhouses painted as decrepit old haunted houses.

i saw so many amazingly creative 'takes' on that idea on social media,
and decided then to create a gingerbread dollhouse for Christmas.
and that idea launched an entire theme:

welcome to my 'Gingerbread Holiday'!

once again, i'm making use of elements i have on hand already
along with a few CHEAP additions from thrift & discount stores
to create a whole new holiday decor theme to enjoy.

continue reading to see the before shot and all the details...

11.18.2022

words of Thanksgiving wall art

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time for a BONUS POST!
i just had to fit this one in before Thanksgiving...

here's a 'fast, cheap, & easy' last-minute decor idea
that will add a touch of personalized meaning to your celebration
( and might just help to keep the kids busy, too! )

make word art to decorate your front door or entry wall

all it takes is a word program, paper, a printer, 
and some interesting 'frames' to display the completed word art...