In case there was ever any doubt, I LOVE fresh evergreens at Christmas. Did you purchase an evergreen wreath or two for your home and now, the week of Christmas it's crunchy? It happens. I wonder how far in advance commercial wreaths are made. Besides that, if you hang your wreath in a place where it receives the warm air currents and do not spray it regularly, it WILL dry out. One of my friends always buys a wreath on Black Friday to use on her coffee table. It looks amazing, but come Christmas it's pretty dry. If that's you... you can make a fresh evergreen wreath … [Read more...]
It's not too early to start making your own natural Christmas tree ornaments. May these fabulous ideas inspire you to get your craft on. My rustic nature-inspired Christmas decorations are my most popular posts. The best part of using the fruits of Mother Nature in your Christmas decor other than the beauty is that it is usually inexpensive. Take some time now to create without the pressure of the season and enjoy the process. We all have good intentions, I don't want you to get caught on Thanksgiving weekend wishing you'd had a bevy of handmade natural … [Read more...]
Simple easy tips for transitioning your home from winter-weary to spring-fresh. The trees are leafless and there's still snow on the ground. Yet soon, there will be wildflowers along our paths and a canopy of green overhead. While Mother Nature takes her sweet time transitioning her wardrobe, I'm going to jump ahead and pretend that spring has arrived and transition my inside spaces, making them fresh and happy and welcoming AND walk through the process with you. This post is sponsored by Wayfair. All thoughts and creative ideas are my own. What's the first color … [Read more...]
EASY and almost FREE... Kitchen Cabinet Organizer Ideas It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. Out of desperation, I created some cute kitchen cabinet organizers for almost free using common items from around the house. Chaos may seem like a strong word to describe my kitchen cabinets. You know the feeling. You're cooking dinner and need one more herb or spice and before you know it, you've pulled out half of the little bottles looking for the RIGHT one! The counter is covered in seasoning containers while you hurry … [Read more...]
I'm excited to share with you how I wood burned the cutest simple rustic woodland animal Christmas ornaments for my tree. But, first... This the 1st stop on our FOURTH ANNUAL Handmade Christmas Ornaments Blog Hop. Just like each year past, you can expect to be inspired by all kinds of lovely Christmas ornaments created by our extraordinary bloggers. This year, we changed things up... we're doing TWELVE DAYS instead of the usual 31... with ALL of the creativity and inspiration you've come to expect. So... how about we get on with the fun?! Last year I created my … [Read more...]
Don't overlook that clearance item because it's not quite your style. Here's how I gave a rustic farmhouse metal sign a makeover and turned it into casual coastal wall decor. Have you ever been shopping and discovered something on a super sale that caught your eye, but it wasn't just right for you? When that happens don't dismiss the item... look at it again to see if you can tweak it or paint it or personalize it in some way to make it just right. Not long ago I was in Hobby Lobby when they were marking all kinds of home decor items down and I came across this metal farmhouse … [Read more...]
Think outside the box to create your own home decor and learn how to make a pillow from a table runner. One of the simplest ways to "springify" your home, besides giving it a fresh cleaning, is to add some fun new spring decor. Even better... make that new decor yourself. If you can cut with scissors and thread a needle... you can handle this super easy DIY project! When I was out shopping for my Easter table, some table runners beckoned me. Goodness, they were cute. One, in particular, caught my eye. It was the sweetest bunny rabbit with a crown of flowers and a cute bow around her neck. … [Read more...]
It's amazing what one simple handmade touch can do to bring spring into your home. Learn how to make a moss shamrock to add to your home decor vignette for St. Patrick's Day. Do you love to decorate your home with small seasonal vignettes? I find that they not only provide color and textural interest, they give me a venue for displaying my home decor craft projects. If this isn't something that you're in a habit of doing, I hope this post will encourage you to have fun with your home decor in a small but rewarding way. A few months ago I transformed a rummage sale chest and … [Read more...]
Do you have 5 minutes? Put together this inexpensive and simple shamrock wreath for St. Patrick's Day in a flash. Extraordinary seasonal home decor shouldn't take a huge chunk of time to create. I don't mind putting a lot of time into projects that will stay up year round, but Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter... for those holidays I believe we should be able to create pretty or fun decor that's eye-catching in a flash for few dollars. That's why I was so excited to make this totally fun, colorful, and very simple shamrock wreath for St. Patrick's Day. It's super … [Read more...]
Need a coffee table but don't have one? This DIY modern farmhouse tray is a cheap and easy solution with style. In my home, I'm the beneficiary of a nightly ritual that will make most wives jealous... My husband prepares a cup of cocoa or chai for me every evening before bedtime. He's been doing this for most of our married life and I love it. It's a very special way to end the evening. Since we've been living in this postage stamp of an apartment my choice is to sit at the table or on my little loveseat. Usually, I choose the loveseat. But, it's risky for … [Read more...]
Is there anything better than Christmas decor that's free and natural? I think not! That's why I'm excited to share with you my simple rustic handmade Christmas ornaments made from birch logs and pine cones. But, before I do, if you’re here from The How To Home (Didn't Mary Beth create the cutest retro vintage ornament ever?), WELCOME! This is the 4th stop on our third annual 31 Day Handmade Christmas Ornaments Blog Hop. Just like each year past, you can expect to be inspired by all kinds of lovely Christmas ornaments created by 30 extraordinary bloggers, plus me. … [Read more...]
This has been the summer of flowers. It all started when my little grocery store started carrying locally grown flowers in the spring. I almost did flips when I saw ranunculus. In the most beautiful colors, ever. So, of course, I purchased some, and arranged them, and took their picture... over and over again. As spring became summer, there was a constant flow of flowers each week into my store. And when I could, I purchased a bouquet and arranged it, and took more pictures. For the past month, there's been a steady flow of sunflowers in every … [Read more...]
Easy tutorial and TIPS for making and styling a modern farmhouse 3 tiered tray. And more farmhouse tray inspiration from 11 of my favorite blogging friends! It was Tuesday... I dropped Tim off at work and then swung around to Walmart for a quick kombucha run, jumping back on the road for another busy day. And then it happened! My car steered itself into a parking lot... and right into the first parking slot... smack dab in front of the Goodwill store. I looked over and a lady was just unlocking the door. There I was... the first customer of the day with the whole store … [Read more...]
If you'd like to celebrate someone with a special gift but have no idea what to do... I've got a creative and thoughtful gift option for you. Every Tuesday we get together with some other couples for spiritual discussion and prayer. We enjoy the time so much, it's the highlight of our week. The daughter of one of the couples graduated from high school this spring. She didn't want an open house, but we wanted to do something to celebrate her milestone. Tim thought we should get some flowers. Flowers are nice... but they don't have any staying power much beyond a week. … [Read more...]
I think we take often take ourselves and our decorating too seriously. We have a budget and a vision in mind and we put our blinders on and focus on getting "that look." Does that sound familiar to you? I can be guilty of that for sure. Because everything I'm doing is "new" these days, I am striving to look at my home decor more purposefully. Maybe in an upcoming post, I will delve further into that mindset, but today... Let's talk about the floor cloth I created for my balcony garden. As you know, I am crazy about my beautiful outdoor space … [Read more...]
Have you ever had an idea to create something and it came out even better than you hoped? This simple water fountain I created for my balcony garden is the best thing ever! I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to have it bubbling and gurgling all day and evening. In the process of creating a garden for my balcony, I decided that it would be fun to have a water feature. I had no idea we would enjoy it as much as we do. Here's How I Constructed a Simple Container Fountain With a few ideas in mind, I decided to go online and do a little research … [Read more...]
There's an old saying, "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush." Though we could discuss that proverb and the pros and cons of risk-taking, when it comes to thrifting and DIYing, that's really true. When you find something you think you can work with, even if you have no idea how you'll DIY it... get it. Who knows if you'll find another one later. One day I hit the local Goodwill shop and found a few items for a change. I have a blogging friend who comes home with all kinds of fabulous finds for next to nothing from her Goodwill store in the Windy City. Here in my … [Read more...]
