Decorating for Spring - Indoors

Bringing the Garden & Spring Inside

As we are working away outside, I see that this is exactly where we were last year, and most likely the year before. Trying to get some gardening done before the real heat hits, like 90's heat!
And this is about the same thing I wanted to do inside as well. 

The urn above is painted with Old White Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Dry Brushed with Pure White, and Glazed with a Brown - Gray Paint Mix for a little aging. 

The large Moss Ball is a styrofoam ball from the craft store purchased with coupon of course,
and covered with Bright Green Reindeer Moss.

The moss is hot glued and adhered to the ball with metal florist picks. 

Come back soon for another look at some of 

The Decorated House Readers' Favorite Posts.
...........................................................................................................

Wondering how to bring a little Spring inside, but without buying anything new? There are so many ways! The entry table is dressed with a few old favorites, this lovely white painted urn with a large reindeer moss ball, a beautiful antique vellum book from the 1600's, and a mercury glass crown. The urn is a perfect contrast to the black marble top. I'm not sure that these 3 items have ever been used together before. New fresh spring look, nothing new purchased! Perfect.

I was spying the antique blue bottles that I used last year holding a single flower or two on the mantel. But at the moment we are spending days outside redoing planting beds. Trying to get more done before the temps hit the 90's. We made great progress but there is much more to do yet. The kitchen courtyard needed very little work. It is such a wonder micro-environment. It was time to add some seasonal flowers, but all the shrubs are now established and look wonderful.

See Y'All Soon~

 ................................................................................
Click on the pictures below to visit The Decorated House Shop!

~ How To Bleach Bottle Brush Trees for Christmas Decorating

Have you fallen in love with these wonderful little bottle brush trees? I haven't seen them in their natural state of creamy off-white in stores, although they can be ordered on-line. However for just a few cents, you can create your own because you can change them very easily. 

The first ones I saw a couple of years ago were vintage, but today you can find them new as well.

The trees on the left are how I found them. They are sold for using in those little villages people put up especially during Christmas time. Look in the area  where you can buy the miniature houses and furnishings and that's where you find those strangely colored blue green trees.

I started bleaching them a couple of years ago, and I haven't seen anyone coming up with a newer idea.  It's all the same very simple process. After they are bleached you can use any kind of dye to make them another color like pink or aqua if you wanted to. Or just leave them pretty and natural.

HOW TO: This is all you need to know! 

CONTINUE READING

~ How to Make a Pottery Barn Style Pillow with Christmas Wreath - DIY

Handcrafted Christmas Decorating Ideas:

When I first saw the Pottery Barn Pillow, I was smitten. There had been a few copycats and knock-offs but none where quite what I was looking for. Even the Pottery Barn version was the reverse of the colors of what I wanted. So of course, it's time to make your own!

Click HERE For Directions: 

How to Make a Pottery Barn Inspired Wreath Pillow

See Y'All Soon~

~ Slipcovers - Lots of Ideas!

Let's explore slipcovers again. 

I've added more ideas to my pinterest slipcovers board. Hope you find something 

of interest if you are looking for some slipcover ideas. 

------------------

Although it would have been much easier to just reupholster the dining room chairs, I wondered if sometime in the future I would really want the pretty green fabric back again. Also since they were going to be white, there was a good chance there would be some spills along the way with this being a dining room. So that's why the decision was made to make slipcovers

CONTINUE READING

~ Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Pumpkins - Black & White with Silver Halloween Decorating!

Halloween Decorating at The Decorated House
Halloween 2012:
Come take a look at how I used some decorative goodies to decorate
our entry table for Halloween with elements
 that you probably already have!

CONTINUE READING

~ Velvet Pumpkins for Fall Decorating

It's beginning to feel like Fall in many parts of the country, and it sure seems to bring out

that desire to fluff the nest and make a few pretty things to decorate our homes with.
One of those absolutely lovely things is plush velvet pumpkins. Of course
 you can purchase some pretty ones if you are short on time,
but you can also make one, or a few, with some simple instructions. 

Click this link for full directions on how to make beautiful plush pumpkins

 to add to your home this year.

How to Make Plush Velvet Pumpkins 

See Y'all Soon~

 ................................................................................
Click on any of the pictures below to shop  art from The Decorated House 

~ How to Make Velvet Pumpkins Plush & Pretty - DIY - Tutorial

 How to Make Plush and Pretty Velvet Pumpkins:

CONTINUE READING

~ Magnolia Leaves & Burlap Flowers - Fall Decor ~ Natural Elements

 Magnolia Leaf Wreath 

and Burlap Ribbon Rosette w/Lace

Magnolias leaves, one of Mother Nature's best inventions are such a perfect natural element in Fall decorating with their beautiful shiny green leaves accented with rich velvet copper on the underside. This is my inspiration for Fall decor this year.  No wonder people have been decorating with them for so many years. And now it's Fall...well kind of. It's still quite warm, but you can fell the change in the gentle breeze during a morning walk. From now through the holidays the magnolias have wonderful seed pods in addition to the pretty leaves, and that makes them so perfect for decorating.

So while we were out walking the last few mornings  we also collected some natural elements to add to our home for Fall. I can remember when we were first starting out Sweet Hubby used to go out on bike rides and bring me back bags of weeds, flowers and pods to use for arrangements. This year I decided it would actually be fun to do much the same thing, and to  mix it up with a few things that I already have or a few things to buy, like this darling burlap ribbon with white dots!

This is another take on the fabric flower rosette that you all like so much.  You can find the directions of how to make it HERE. This time I used a burlap ribbon. So there is no need for you to cut fabric into strips, the ribbon is ready to go. It's the same technique, roll the middle bud, then fold the ribbon away from you and roll it around the bud, fold backwards and roll...and just keep going until it is the size you want. Add a drop of hot glue or stitch it to keep the rose in shape. 

I'm loving the copper and lime green this year. Perfect Fall colors for me. And then Halloween just around the corner. The last days of each year go so quickly don't they?!

See Y'All Soon~

~ Magnolia Leaf Candle - Fall Decorating ~ 1 Little Project at a Time

 Magnolia Leaf  and Burlap Ribbon Wrapped Fall Candle

with Flower Rosette and Rhinestone Button

Even with the temperatures are still in the 90's around here, the pull of Fall decorating is gently tugging at me. I've been playing too much of the "if only" and "as soon as I get ______ done" games ..... if only all these work projects around the house were done, then I could get out the Fall goodies and decide what to do this year. So instead of playing that silly game, it's time to just do one little project at a time. Too much work and no decorating makes some girls grumpier than than they need to be. So let's play and make something very pretty and very, very simple. 

This is very similar to the candle HERE that I made before for Christmas time. For this one, we will use the beautiful copper side of the leaves turned out. The pretty shiny green side peeks out at you as you look at the candle from different directions.

All you need to do is put a rubber band around the candle and tuck the leaves inside it spaced the way you like. Then tie a ribbon or two to cover the rubber band. Add a pretty embellishment lie the flower and you are all done!

It is that rich and beautiful copper color that is really singing my tune right now. This color is so very pretty and just speaks fluent Fall. Now to figure more ways to work it into the Fall decor.

The ribbon here is a burlap with white dots. This will be used in other pretties for Fall and/or Halloween this year. This ribbon can easily be found at the craft store.

(** Please remember burlap usually has  formaldehyde on it. So keep it out of the reach of children and pets!! I wear plastic gloves in case I go into the kitchen after making something with it.)

 

The Decorated House - Fall Decorating - Fabric Rose and Candle

The front is embellished with one of the lovely fabric flower rosettes that I posted about HERE with instructions and pictures to make your own. There are so many pretty projects that you can use these for. It is finished with a wonderful vintage rhinestone button, but you could use something new that looks old as well.

You could make a couple of these in a short time. I made some flower rosettes out of the same  white dotted burlap ribbon and they turned out really fun, so I'll be using them along with this candle. If I get just one little project done at a time, maybe I'll have some fall decorating soon!

See Y'All Soon~

~ Fall to Christmas Handmade Decorations - DIY Magnolia Leaf Candle

How to Make a Charming Magnolia Leaf Wrapped Candle:

CONTINUE READING

~ How to Print on Fabric Using an Inkjet Printer - Image Transfer - DIY - Tutorial

There are many ways to create an image transfer on fabric. This is one of my favorites!
And it has become one of my reader's favorite tutorials as well.

Forget the spay glue adhesive and freezer paper. This is much better.

It is very easy to do and requires no messy chemicals to transfer your image to fabric. 

This tutorial will show you how to use your inkjet printer at home.
(I have read that others used their laser printers for fabric,
but I have not tried it, so I cannot say how it works from my
own experience.)

** All art in this tutorial is the original, copyrighted

art of Donna, The Decorated House. **

CONTINUE READING

~ New Ottoman From An Old Wicker Trunk - Chest

Make a Pretty Ottoman Coffee Table from a (Wicker) Trunk:

CONTINUE READING

~ Decorating with Succulents & Silver and How To Create a Succulent Dish Garden

It's a great time of the year to bring in a little touch of the garden. After the extreme winter

so many have seen this year, wouldn't a little touch of living green add some warmth?!

You can grow succulents in any number of containers, and silver is a

really pretty choice. Complemented with white, the silver

adds a bit of reflective light and show offs the rich green.

Sitting on a dark gray-brown honed marble top,  

the  simple Mercury glass candle holders are the perfect 

vessel for some small succulents. 

You could use vintage silver pieces as well. Just be aware that

moss, dirt and plants actually touching the silver can damage it.

Old silver pieces used to be so inexpensive and easy to find 

at Goodwill and thrift stores, but the  prices have certainly changed

since blogs have come along. Some days you can

still get lucky and find a few silver pieces at a decent price.

Succulents thrive where other plants would simply 

give up and turn brown. Put them near a sunny window, let them 

have some breathing room, and do not over water them! 

I planted them exactly the same as I showed in a previous post.

 You can click on the picture below or click 

HERE :: How To Create a Succulent Dish Garden. 

for the full instructions.  

The only difference for these was that I lined the containers with some plastic

wrap, then insert the succulents which I had planted in small peat pots. 

The plastic goes around the outside of the  peat pots, so when you water,

it will keep the moisture away from the silver.

Even if you can't keep the plants alive and well for years, you should be able

 to enjoy them for a few months. Or just before they begin to look a bit on the worn out side, 

 take them outside and bring in some of  new succulents that have been outside instead.

 Rotating the plants will help keep them all healthier.

See Y'All Soon~

~ How -To: Black Glaze on Kitchen Cabinets or Wood Furniture Update

Over the years some posts on blogs get a lot more views than others. And some of those posts will continue to get quite a bit of interest year over year. How to do a  Black Glaze on your wood Kitchen Cabinets has been one of those posts here at The Decorated House, both on this blog and on the original site over 13 years ago.

Before doing the Faux Bois finish, we added the moldings and painted the cabinets all white. The cabinets are all solid wood, and in good condition and back then it didn't make sense to me to get cabinets that were not all wood to replace them. After 10 years I was tired of white and really would have liked some nice upscale solid wood cabinets, but that was a lot more expensive than what I was willing to do.

Instead, I found books (this was before all the diy stuff hit the internet) and decided to try my hand at faux bois paint technique. That was about 13 years ago. The finish has held up extremely well.

The kitchen mini-update was supposed to be quick and easy. You know how little projects can take a lot more time than you thought. And although the cabinets still look pretty good, I wanted to give them a freshening up. The doors were all removed again, and I redid all the black glaze. The insides of the cabinets got a coat of paint, and new storage organization was anywhere I could fit it into the odd and sometimes small spaces. The mini update is still going on, but I think an end may finally be in sight.

As I was writing the post,  I showed this before and after picture to Sweet Hubby and he wasn't skeptical for a moment that it was really the original kitchen until he realized the same size window is still there. The picture is not that good, but I think you can get the idea. They were built in 1959 and they looked the same although a bit worse for wear in 1986.

If you have wood cabinets

CONTINUE READING

~ Halloween Decorating - Black, White & Silver

Adding a few vintage elements always seems to bring that special feeling of age and beauty to Fall and Halloween Decorating. The entry table is dressed in a little bit more black this year and Emily Grace is wearing her special hat for the occasion as she awaits the big day with her black kitty and  rave, along with her favorite jack o' lantern. (The Little Victorian Witch Art Print, Emily Grace,  is available HERE.)

The pretty velvet pumpkins that I made this year for Fall and Halloween add a lovely soft texture to complement the sparkle of the Mercury glass pumpkins and gourds. Its a wonderful combination. The velvet pumpkins have  a very subtle texture and soft coloring that makes them feel a bit vintage,  even if you know they are new.

While unpacking the seasonal goods, I found some black and gold frames which were waiting to be painted in lighter color. For Halloween they are perfect the way they are. I might have to keep a couple the way they are and pack them away with the Halloween things.

The stack of books starts with an antique Italian vellum book from the 1600's which I use all year around. The vintage book stack is topped with a white garden urn holding a mercury glass gourd. Sitting on the edge of the books is a paper and velum butterfly.

The ravens got a little dressed up this year as well. One wears a handmade lace color, while the one in the top photo chose a black and white harlequin collar. That one was made from a wired ribbon. Cut off one side making it the width you need, and pull the wire in your cut piece to make the ruffled collar.

 

Rounding out the display for the entry table is a tall black urn that was also tucked away and mostly forgotten. Now it is the perfect place to have another white pumpkin. This one is a ceramic one painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (Old White and Pure White) but a foam pumpkin would work was well.

Come back soon to see more Halloween Decorating for 2013.

See Y'All Soon~

~ Hello October ~ Countdown to Halloween! Pumpkin Topiary

It is the joyful month of October! One of the fun things I've seen around Blogland in the last few years is  the different inventive kinds of a count down "clock" for kids to count the days until  Halloween. I wish someone had thought of that when I was young. It would have made this fun Holiday last longer. Even if there is no count down clock around here we are still on Halloween watch anyway. And the fun is just about to begin. With just one little project at a time. 

For the last few years there has been a pumpkin topiary somewhere in the decor. I like the combination of the black and white with a little soft pumpkin color too. The light streaming in through the window bounces playfully around the silver pieces and actually makes the matte black pumpkin a bit shinier looking in the photo. This year I made the topiary in a Mercury glass goblet.  The Mercury pumpkins are a delightful addition again this year. The fun reflective sparkle certainly brightens the mood Fall, and adding more Mercury glass pieces just adds to the reflective light.

You can make a topiary of your own out of faux pumpkins that you can keep and rearrange year after year. The bottom white pumpkin and the top peachy gourd are both ceramic, but you can easily use foam ones instead. It best to use a foam one for the middle, and maybe the top as well, because you might need to poke a hole in the bottom if the pumpkin below it has a stem that you want to hide. I used some sticky putty to keep the top one in place since I could not poke a hole in the ceramic gourd.

The pumpkins started out that ugly orange color that most inexpensive faux pumpkins are born with. For the white pumpkin and soft pumpkin colored gourd I started out with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White. The white one was then dry brushed with some Pure White. The gourd was painted with Old White mixed with red and yellow to get the soft pumpkin color, then dry brushed with Old White. The black pumpkin was spray painted with either Fusion or Universal black paint.  Both spray paints are very good for painting the foam. Of course you can also use a liquid latex although you may have to touch them up over the years if you don't use a primer.

Come back soon to see more clips of Halloween decorating, and then a post of all the elements of the whole holiday decor.

~ See Y'All Soon ~

~ The Decorated House Halloween Decor - Mantel 2013

You can hear it all throughout Blogland right now, almost everyone loves this time of year. As I've said before, I am no exception.  For me it is another reason to be joyful and celebrate everyday. And to at last cool down a little bit and open the windows. And ..... to decorate the mantel for Halloween!
This I totally love doing. It's a chance to embrace magic and whimsy and just remember the fun of being a kid this time of year.

CONTINUE READING

~ How -To :: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint - French Linen Basket Makeovers

Basket Makeover Using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint - French Linen

Another way to store things in the kitchen is by using baskets. 

This is a very old solution that still works in today's kitchens as well. 

When choosing storage options for the kitchen, baskets are always tops on the list for many people. And for good reason, they not only add a nice hidden storage solution, but they can also bring in a touch of warmth, color and/or texture.  Somewhere along the line, I had a "collection" of sorts of these very inexpensive baskets. There were mostly out of sight, but they were also exactly the right size for a shelf area where we needed quick access to things like keys and they are in easy sight so something needed to be done to them, just to pretty them up a bit. 

So out came the ASCP again!  I've had the French Linen Annie Sloan Chalk Paint for a while, but never found the right place to use it for any accessories or furniture. However, when I tried it with the new colors in the kitchen, it was a perfect complement.

You can see from the before and after that a little bit of paint makes a big difference.

CONTINUE READING

~ French Chair ♠ diy ♠ Painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Looking for a really rustic, distressed French Blue look? Try this method.

CONTINUE READING

~ How to Make a Pottery Barn Style Monogram Pillow, DIY

This is where I used one of the last flowers I showed you how to make. It adds a lovely touch to the Pottery Barn style pillow. How to make the fabric flowers can be found here and here and here and here.

The pillow here is a simple envelope closure style pillow cover. I have written a tutorial on it here. 

1. Choose a simple flat weave fabric like a cotton or linen for this project. My pillow is made with a    medium weight cotton. You can use a linen or cotton or blend or any plain fabric you like.

2. Find a font that you think would look good as your monogram, but also one that will be easy to cut out.  Play with the size of the capitalized letter to see who large you need for your pillow or project. Just print it out in draft mode to save ink, cut it out and see how the size works for you. 

3. Print out your letter on plain paper. Then cut the letter out exactly how you want the monogram to look on the pillow. 

4. Lay the cut out letter on top of a piece of felt. If using white felt as I did here, use a pencil and lightly trace around the letter remembering the inside parts as well that need to be cut out. 

If you are using a dark felt, you can just a piece of chalk to trace the letter. 

If you use felt, there is no need to hem or fix the edges. When using a different fabric you will need to hem it, or use a no fray liquid on it.

5. Attach the letter/monogram to your pillow with fabric glue or by lightly sewing it on.

Then if you wish, you can either embellish at little like adding the fabric flower or just leaving it with the monogram alone. 

See Y'All Soon~