DIY Fall Decor Project Ideas

Crisp air, nature’s bounty, and a hot glue gun is all the inspiration needed to get the DIY fall decor project ideas flowing.

apple-pear-wreath-candle-ring

The little apple candle wreath that could is falls into my PhD (Project half Done) studies.

Believe me, the faux apples are not as red as they appear in the images.

They’re red alright,  but not quite as bright red as seen in some of the images.

If I could get the lighting right on both space and camera, I’d be dangerous.

what-you'll-need

Styrofoam-wreath

apple-wreath-supplies-fall

DIY wreath projects need not be a complicated endeavor.

Where’s the fun in that?

For this particular project I chose a Styrofoam wreath form.

fall-craft-apple-wreath

Remnants leftover from the umpteen burlap bags used for everything from placemats to gift bags came together to base wrap the wreath in order to cover the Styrofoam.

scissors-burlap

Hot glue gun used for this step.

wreath-ribbon

Striving for a more polished look than that of the rustic burlap bags, I wrapped the entire form with burlap ribbon purchased from Dollar Tree, pinning the ribbon with a few straight pins to secure into place.

wrapped-wreath-form-burlap-ribbon

Grab a paper or download a Michaels coupon and let the DIY fall decor project ideas savings begin.

Let me let you all in on a little secret…

DIY projects can get expensive, so clip those coupons.

apple-wreath-materials

Place faux apples and pears around the form to get an idea of how you want the finished look to turn out.

fall-apple-wreath-form

Heat up the glue gun (use caution with these things), and once it gets hot glue the faux fruit in place.

making-a-wreath-for-fall

Spanish moss is not only decorative, it covers a multitude of gaps and DIY mistakes.

apples-stacked

There you have it.

apple-candle-ring-1

I absolutely love this sweet sweet DIY potpourri wreath from Sweet Something Designs.

potpourri-wreath-fall

Simple elegance comes to a door or chair frame near you by way of a bag or two of potpourri, a grapevine wreath, your favorite color, texture, and pattern ribbon, and the usual wreath making tools and glue gun to hold fall fabulous all together.

what-you'll-need

grapevine-wreath-medium

potpourri-mix-for-making-fall-wreath-1

Simple instructions of hot gluing potpourri pieces to wreath and topping off the look with a bow in your choice of ribbon.

fall-inspired-ribbon

Laura of Garden Answer posted another wonderful fall wreath how-to video giving us five different options to choose from.

How fall flipping cute is the owl wreath?

owl-wreath-Garden-Answer

what-you'll-need

grapevine-wreath-medium

Grapevine wreath.

Hydrangea.

Pine cones.

An assortment of fall leaves.

Feathers.

Small craft gourds.

Dried and/or fresh floral stems.

Seasonal blooms.

Decorative owl figure.

Laura uses echinacea, rose hips, hydrangea, clematis, sedum, vines, pine cones, autumn leaves, and a most darling owl.

wreath owl supplies

pheasant-feathers-Joann1

Jo-ann Fabric

Owl cute is this!

Pinecone Owl

Pinecone Owl

Magnolia tree flower and leaves

Flickr

fall-maple-leaves

Items sourced and found at Jo-Ann Fabrics on a free shipping Saturday afternoon signals the cart is full of DIY fall decor project ideas.

wreath-for-fall-2020

what-you'll-need

Jo-Ann-wreath

Purchased for this project list:

18″ Grapevine Wreath

Zucker Feather Products 12 pk Duck Gilded Feathers

Bloom Room Autumn 19” Millet Leaf Bush Yellow

Place & Time Fall Harvest Textured Ribbon 2.5″

Bloom Room Autumn Hanging Pinecone Acorn Natural

From nature:

Pinecones

Nandina

Hydrangea

Juniper

Fresh pine

natural-elements

Nandina berries  fresh pine and juniper

dried-stems-fresh-berries

Placement is ruled by where the bulk of the clippings and stems fit best without much effort in securing to wreath.

Why make things difficult?

wreath-embellishments

Undone paper clips help to secure stems to the wreath.

glue-gun-heating-up

I hot glued the pinecones and hanging pinecone acorn to the wreath with ease and great success.

placement

pine-cone-decor

Professional bow maker will never find its way onto my resume, but I can fake it till I make it with the best of them.

making-bow-with-green-ribbon

A trusty loop and twist method works, and pipe cleaners-stems looped around the center and twisted several times holds everything in place.

Once you decide where on the wreath the bow will go, feed the “ends” of the pipe cleaners-stems in an over and under method through a couple of the wreath twigs in that section.

Gentle pull up on the pipe cleaner-stem ends to pull the bow close to the wreath.

green-bow-for-wreath

Secure the bow in place, twist the ends together, tuck the stems into the wreath twigs to hide, and fluff the bow.

bow 1

Gold feathers tucked in visually strategic spots

wreath-goodies

wreath DIY fall decor project ideas

As time marches on the nandina is turning a stunning golden crimson.

So fall fabulous!

fall-colors-foliage

DIY wreaths naturally mirror the beauty of the season.

love signature

Simple Autumn Accents For The Season

Simple autumn accents kick off a slew of traditional and soon to become a new tradition autumn DIY projects, dishes, and decorating ideas for the season.

velvet-pumpkin-orange (1)

Now that’s one bright orange pumpkin- one I’m not so in love with in its present state.

Reinterpreting a dollar store pumpkin using leftover remnants from a burlap sandbag, black tulle, ribbon, wired rope, pecans, and pine cones straight out of the craft drawer and front yard fall into the category of simple autumn accents primed for projects in new to you fashion.

New season decorating is primed for a use what you’ve got project.

fall-nuts-pecans-pinecone-wrapped-pumpkin

Inexpensive and oh so easy to work with, using tulle for everything gift wrapping from the actual gift wrap to the bow on top of the package is the preferred gift wrap accessory found in my craft closet bag of tricks.

wrapped-stem

What started out as the primary layer of pumpkin covering turned into just the right amount of color and texture contrast.

Seasonal oomph is the entire point of this DIY project.

burlap-wrapped-pumpkin-buffalo-check-ribbon

Going to a gumbo (think Going to a Go-Go by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) keeps with Places In The Home tradition.

Believe me, cooking a gumbo on the first day of what feels like fall in Louisiana is just what you do.

Fellow Louisiana fans of our culture and cuisine posted this to her Facebook page, There Once Was A Kitchen Table, and it says a mouthful.

Louisiana-gumbo-wish

Cooking a gumbo is a day long process- the low and slow principle of Louisiana cooking.

Phone calls from our son for gumbo reports begin bright and early as the taste of home plates a lasting impression.

He makes a good gumbo, but mom’s chicken and sausage gumbo has the c’est si bon of home.

gumbo-in-bowl

Sweet complements savory, or at least that’s the dessert justification I go with.

Simple is the main ingredient in this homemadeish cake.

sliced-Bundt-cake (1) (1)

Prepare a yellow cake mix as directed with one exception.

Use 1 cup apricot nectar instead of the 1 cup water called for and prepare to have your taste buds taken to a whole new level.

Simply delicious and simply homemadeish.

sliced-cake

Remember the hand carved wood pig centerpiece platter/serving tray I referenced in the Digging The Pig Kitchen Decor post from last month?

Arrived ready to impress, it now finds itself filled with fruits, nuts, and veggies deliciously associated with the taste of fall.

wooden-pig-tray-filled-with-fall-fruits-vegetables-1 (1)

Faux pumpkins fill in the scene and seen.

white-pumpkin-in-wooden-tray (1)

green-orange-pumpkins

Glee over it being the first Sunday afternoon of fall is all the simple autumn accents inspiration needed to log on, shop and source, fill the cart, and place an order for the finishing items soon to be seen in a new fall clear through to Thanksgiving wreath.

Joann delivery

wreath-supplies

fall-wreath-supplies-arrival

Guess what’s on the agenda for the weekend and what next week’s blog post will be all about?

Darleen-signature-love

Easy Easter DIY Decorations

If today’s blog post could talk, it would say look at these wonderful easy Easter DIY decorations I found on some of my favorite internet sites.

seed-packet-easter-wreath

Country Living

Springtime is the right time to adorn your entry door with a spring and Easter door decoration.  Welcome spring, friends, and family to the Easter party with this seed packet Easter wreath.

foam-floral-wreath

You’ll need about a dozen seed packets.  Using straight pins, secure the seed packets to a 12-inch foam wreath.

flower-seed-packets

Easter ribbon

Tie a bow with ribbon in a zippy spring color and pin to wreath.

faux-flowers-wreath

Tuck, pin, or hot glue faux floral stems to fill in and complete the look.

Chinoiserie Easter Eggs

Elegant in presence and easy to make, these Chinoiserie Easter eggs DIY from Yvonne at Stone Gable blog instantly caught my eye.

Click here to be redirected over to Stone Gable blog for her DIY tutorial.

moss-egg-decorating-ideas

Moss covered DIY Easter eggs capture the natural essence of spring is sprung.

floral-moss1

Easy is the idea here, and it doesn’t get much easier than using a hot glue gun to glue strips of moss to plastic eggs.

free-printable-easter-gift-tags-scissors-cherry-blossoms

I love these easy-to-download free printable Easter gift tags from the talented Ann at On Sutton Place.  These will enhance any Easter basket or gift, and make a wonderful addition to the Easter table as a napkin tie or place card.

Click here to be taken over to On Sutton Place for download instructions.

bath-body-Easter-basketA dear friend has an April birthday, so I thought a grown up Easter basket with a rose theme a fun way to go with the gift presentation.

Easy Easter DIY Decorations

Begin with a yard or two of tulle in your color of choice.  For this demonstration, I’m using a vintage pressed glass basket.

basket-with-lid

Willow Basket With Flip Lid

For the actual gift basket I’m leaning toward using the willow basket with flip lid as shown above and rose tulle as the filler grass.

rose-tulle

speckled-eggs-crate

Working with the word rose turns out to be an easy a-tisket, a-tasket,
a grown up Easter-and-birthday basket theme.

I found the porcelain powder shaker at a vintage store, and knew immediately it would make a lovely addition to the gift basket.

I’m also including rose water, a rose rollerball perfume, rose facial oil, rose and honeysuckle body lotion, rose colored nail polish, rose hip oil lip gloss, and a bottle of Chandon California Rose.

speckled-eggs-lamb-figurine

A bouquet of rose colored faux peonies and rose colored speckled eggs placed here and there complete the look.

bowl-of-pastel-dyed-eggs-in-Instant-Pot

I like a one stop-one bunny hop Easter DIY project.

These Easter easy DIY directions from Better Homes & Gardens for dying Easter eggs in the Instant Pot.

In about six minutes you can cook and dye one dozen eggs.

food-coloring

food-coloring-chart

Click on the link for step-by-step directions How to Dye Eggs in an Instant Pot.

Easy Easter DIY Decorations

An ample handful of wheatgrass seeds from the local feed and seed store is all you need to make a live grass Easter basket centerpiece.

Fill the container or basket you will be using for your centerpiece with potting soil.

Add a thick layer of wheatgrass seeds spreading evenly over the soil.

Fill a plant mister or spray bottle filled with water.  Generously mist and soak the planted area.

Place container in or near window so it can get a good amount of daily sunlight.

Water your newly planted crop daily, and in seven to ten days you’ll have a living Easter basket.

plant-atomizer-watering-mister

DIY projects bloom beautiful at this time of year.  Here’s hoping you are inspired by these ideas and inspired to project with these easy Easter DIY decorations.

Happy spring, happy midweek, and as always, happy decorating.

love your style

 

Summer Fabulous in a Jar: Lavender Rose Summer Body Scrub

The look of summer fabulous does not just happen.  Getting our decor, porches, patios, decks, lawns and gardens summer wow ’em ready comes with a fair amount of work.  Unfortunately, this labor of summer outdoor living love does not go unnoticed on the hands, feet and elbows of those who do the time in the summer salt mines putting a lot of elbow grease into it by performing the let’s pretty things up around here task at hand. Consulting my handy dandy Thesaurus for a nicer word for work, I thought these synonyms for the word work make a point.

Task at hand.

Elbow grease.

Salt mines.

Hand.  Grease (oil).  Salt.  I’m thinking a sweet summer season body scrub is in order.

Targeted emails, BOGOS and promo codes complement the necessary essential oils order needed to create the latest addition to my DIY beauty scrub recipe collection.  Let me introduce you to a fabulous summer hand, feet and body beauty treatment– Lavender Rose Summer Body Scrub.

essential oil

I almost forgot to add this little tidbit of inspired information to the post.

crystal kiss dishGodinger Hershey’s Kiss Candy Dish

Back at Christmastime I ordered the crystal replica of the Hershey’s Kiss from Godinger Crystal for Dave the Builder’s Christmas stocking gift.  The busy shipping elves at Godinger mistakenly sent me a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup dish instead of the Hershey’s Kiss dish.  One quick and courteous call to customer service later, the issue professionally became a non-issue resulting in a sweet deal.  With all this talk and type of the rule of kiss aka keep it summer simple, container inspiration stylishly struck.

salt sugar coconut oil

I spooned ¼ cup of the scrub into the kiss dish and added a few of the dried lavender buds for keeping it lavender rose summer body scrub stylishly scented and summer scrub simple.

body scrub jar

I keep the remaining scrub in a lidded jar, the lavender buds nearby in a lovely vintage dish.  The pairing of lavender and rose together is summer scent divine!

purple lavender

Lavender Rose Summer Body Scrub

Lavender Rose Summer Body Scrub

½ cup sugar
½ cup kosher sea salt
½ cup coconut oil, melted
10 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops rose essential oil
1 tablespoon dried lavender buds

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Spoon scrub into a lidded jar of choice and seal tightly.  Scrub will keep for several weeks.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Sugar Scrub

Good morning, afternoon or evening, friends!

Friday is in sight or here which is always a plus.

Fall is getting its look and feel on, the small surgical procedure I had Tuesday went well, and I love the way the homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Sugar Scrub turned out.

Anesthesia is drying, and knowing this I wanted to have a hand scrub on hand.

Looking ahead to more fall decorating with the branches and cuttings soon to fill ironstone pitchers and the demijohn Dave the Builder recently found in his rounds, I quickly recalled that getting to and cutting down the aforementioned branches and cuttings do a number on your hands.

Put the pumpkin pie seasoning in the coconut (oil, that is) and treat your hands to a fabulous Pumpkin Pie Spice Sugar Scrub in the morning.

Or noon.

Or night.

You get the point.

pumpkin-pie-scrub

After a day filled with political mudslinging from every channel, network and streaming site, am I the only one who feels like a day at the spa treatment is in order?

Pumpkin Pie Spice Sugar Scrub has got you and your hands covered.

pumpkin pie spice sugar scrub

This scrub is super emollient, softens immediately, and can I just tell you- the scent is fall in a bottle.

sugar-scrub-container

Mexican vanilla and pumpkin pie spice marry together in notes of fall fragrant harmony.

For the hands:

Dampen hands with tepid water.  Apply a small amount of pumpkin pie spice sugar hand scrub and gently massage in a circular movement to exfoliate and renew skin.  Rinse well with warm water and gently pat dry.

To further promote  at home spa experience,  apply a small amount of your favorite hand cream to seal in the moisture and protect.

sugar-scrub

Taking the new mixing bowl out for a recipe mixing test drive.

Now for the recipe.

pumpkin-scrub

Pumpkin Pie Sugar Scrub

Ingredients

½ cup coconut oil; softened

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1½ Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together until blended.  Store the Pumpkin Pie Spice Sugar Scrub in jar(s) with air tight lid(s).

The scrub will keep at room temperature for up to one month.

enjoy

 

 

Focal Potential: A DIY Light Fixture Project

Necessity and sticker shock is the mother of all DIY projects.  If I search for an item and either can’t locate it or can’t bring myself to shell out $$$$ in order to make it mine a DIY light fixture project is in the making.  At times I succeed with the project, other times I exceed all expectations, and plenty of times it fails miserably. I’m rolling the dice on this one.

DIY light fixture project

Italian scroll chandeliers cause inspiration to tug at the creative part of my brain. The fixture style is lovely and wildly popular, but the sticker shock gives pause. Ouch!  Truth be told, the drops and the finial are the true eye catchers of the piece. A quick search landed me in a more affordable neighborhood. Gorgeous hand painted chandelier drops from Aidan Gray and a Tara Shaw Italian gilded tassel finial from Layla Grayce will be added to the shopping cart if this “eye”dea of mine falls flat. Here’s what I’m thinking~

Williamsburg chandelier

The crystal chandelier is pretty much pristine sans burned out bulb.  I found the fixture on eBay six years ago thinking it would be perfect for a client. When it arrived I immediately knew it was staying out of inventory.  It’s moving to the dining room.

foyer light fixture

The 12 light Williamsburg chandelier is an inherited left over from the original dining room design.  I added the shades last year with pleasing decorative success, but talk about further darkening the room. Personally I love it, but my camera and aging eyes hate the thing. I’ve studied and studied the fixture with a modifying intent. Paint it?  No. Lose the shades?  No.  Move it to the foyer?  Yes! That’s a start, but I want more for this chandelier.

decorative wood finial

We measured the clearance in the foyer noting the links would have to be removed to eliminate any head to fixture contact.  Hurdle #1 cleared. I’ve Googled till I can Google no more with very limited success in locating wooden carved chandelier drops. I asked Dave the Builder if he could channel his inner MacGyver to come up with an idea for the chandelier drops and decorative finial. How about…

chandelier parts

Dave found these craft finials at Lowe’s.  The mixed Oak craft finial (top left) is $2.98 and the Early American table leg (bottom right) is $1.48.

Okay, the upfront cost is minimal.

The plan is to create drops out of the table legs by removing the screws with vise-grip pliers, replacing with cup holder hooks, and staining with an umber or antique bronze to create the desired finish.  A distressed effect is also under consideration.  The craft finial will replace the center ring.  We will retrofit it with a new screw to match the opening size of the chandelier, screw it in, and hope it fulfills my decorative dreams.

It’s well worth the try.

Top Off The Look: Pelmets, Cornice Boards And Valances

Draperies, curtains, pelmets, cornice boards and valances can be looked upon as the  finishing accessory that pulls the look of a space together- much the way a pair of earrings or a singular gold cuff bracelet sets a fashion ensemble into style.

scalloped valanceTraditional Home

Draperies and curtains ( you say tomato, I say tomahto applies here) cover much more than windows- they make an open and shut case for adding pattern, texture, height, balance, and color to the space.  Pelmets, cornice boards and valances complement draperies and curtains while providing a stylish alternative for covering and concealing the sins of install mistakes, measurement mishaps and drapery hardware.

pelmetHouse Beautiful

Wood (i.e. plywood) is usually the material of  choice for the construction of cornice boards.  Cornice board shapes and styles range from box to scalloped which can be painted or covered with drapery fabric or upholstery.

decorative wooden cornice19th Century Louis XV Cache Rideaux Wooden Cornice

An architectural pediment has the decorative ability to be not only a focal point, but a cornice board of decorative distinction with minor modifications.

decorative pelmet pedimentAugustusBrandt Antiques

pediment

Decorative times have changed.  There is a breaking with the rule of perceived formality traditionally that is associated with the cornice board. As with most home decor and home furnishings, materials, design, form, construction, molding, upholstery, and embellishments can be dressed up or dressed down to reflect and the balance of the space and the desired look.

pelmets,cornice boards and valances

Dave the Builder and I saved our newlywed nickles and dimes up for custom drapes.  When we listed our house for sale I reserved the drapes. Those lined little darlings were coming with us regardless of  any measurement restrictions!  The window measurements of the space in the new house didn’t overly concern me.  Plan B was in the woodworks.  Dave the Builder built scalloped cornice boards using ½” plywood.  He covered the forms with batting, measured and cut the fabric, and stretched and stapled it in place.

fabric trim

While the glue gun heated up I measured and cut the finishing trim. Decorative upholstery trim is my go-to solution for beautifully embellishing and beautifully hiding a defective seam or less than perfect corner fold.

custom cornice board

For the DIY project minded, DIY Network has an excellent step by step guide to making a basic wooden cornice board here.   This is a smart option, the BCL Drapery Hardware Marion Custom Moulding Curtain Rod Cornice comes complete with decorative cornice and built-in curtain rod.

valanceTraditional Home

Valances and cornices share the common trait of purpose and position. Intended as a decorative option for concealing drapery hardware, a valance is made of fabric that runs the top length of the curtain or drape. Popular styles range from the casual loose and free flowing treatment, traditionally tailored, the structured balloon, ruffled, or scalloped design, pinch pleated, tied and tasseled, or a simple straight finished piece shirred on the rod.

valance window treatmentTraditional Home

Pelmets, cornice boards, and valances remain popular decorative choices to top off  and complete the total look of window treatments.

My Roots Are Showing

I’ve been told three times this week my roots are showing.

A homemade drain cleaner, a bottle of Clairol, and a lifetime of wisdom put things in check.

Here’s a glimpse into my roots are showing world.

Your roots of the clogged drain kind are showing and the at home solution to the problem-

When we moved into this house three years ago,  right off the bat we had slow to no drainage issues with the bathtub.

The plumbercam scanned the backyard and zeroed  in on the culprit- roots.

Those little darlings continue to deal drainage misery from time to time, this past week being one of those times.

As I contemplated waving the white flag of surrender and once again calling a plumber, a quick Google search resulted in a “recipe” for an inexpensive, kid, environment and pet safe unclogging solution that worked like a charm!

It more than likely did not dissolve the root, but it solved the slow drain issue.

vinegar and baking soda

DIY Drain Unclogging Solution

¼ cup baking soda

1 cup white vinegar

hot water

Shake ¼ cup of baking soda into the clogged drain.  Pour 1 cup of white vinegar over the baking soda in the drain.  Let this combination sit and perform unclogging magic for 15-30 minutes. Pour hot water (be careful not to burn yourself) through the drain for a 1-2 minutes.

 

Clairol hair color

Your roots of the Clairol kind are showing-

Through the beauty of natural sunlight and a mirror it has been brought to my attention my roots of the Clairol kind are showing.

Problem?

What problem?

If  an easy solution of baking soda and vinegar can take care of one root problem, Clairol surely can fix the other.

Remember my advice from a previous post to never miss an opportunity to color your world, especially when your world needs a root touch-up.

hobnail-cake-plate

Your roots of the what makes you, You kind are showing-

I don’t know about the apple falling far from the tree, but I do know the roots of said tree continue to ground me.

They weave their way through the memories deeply rooted in things like the hobnail cake plate bought on a buying trip with my maternal grandmother, the antiques dealer.

This time of year takes my thoughts back to summers spent in East Tennessee with my paternal grandparents.

My grandmother, the consummate baker, was known for her pound cakes.

grandmothers-pound-cake-with-nutmeg-recipe

There’s no denying my family roots are showing when I follow to the letter her handwritten pound cake recipe.

grandmothers-pound-cake-with-nutmeg-1

I know without a shadow of a doubt my roots are showing each and every time the exact life lesson words my parents said to me when I was a kid travel out of my mouth, making a beeline to the ears of my own child.

Who said that?

My roots continue to show when I see my son’s eyes stare back at me in my own reflection in the mirror, and in the conscious decision I make to see only the smiles on the faces of loved ones and old friends rather than the wrinkles, receding hairlines, and extra pounds we face on this side of 50.

Simple products make it easier to alleviate some roots from showing, and wisdom makes it possible and easier to appreciate when the roots that matter most are showing.

Love your style!

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