Homefront: Colorful Spring Easter Mantel

There are few times a year when pastels can be made front and center, so I embrace it when I can. The mantle/ikea expedit shelf was done a few weeks ago, (shocker), but it didn't ever feel *just right*. When I brought this sweet smelling hyacinth home last night, I knew just what to do. I wrapped the flower pot in a scrap of burlap and tied it off with a pretty pink, polka -dot bow, just like how I did my mason jar craft (tutorial here).

I received this Velveteen Rabbit book as a gift when I was 7 years old. The Jesus picture came from this visit at a lovely antique shop. It appears that I like bunny rabbits. One day, I will add lambs and chicks to my Easter line up. But really, a beak mask just wouldn't be as cute as a bunny ear headband.

I used my white frame once again as a wreath holder. Makes a cute impact on an otherwise lonely wall.

 Do you need a quick and easy Spring Easter wreath idea? Visit my diy tutorial here!

Homefront: Simple Valentine's Day Craft Decorating



This is a Christmas hurricane glass candle holder that came with faux pine needle/cone wreath to display around the base. My husband won it from his work White Elephant Christmas Party, (and yet he brought something "funny" a Schticky Lint remover, but his the year before, a fancy toilet scrubber was a hit... I digress).

I wanted to hussy it up for Valentine's Day... so I got out my glue gun and silvery craft jewels (that you can order from me here) for this craft. If you want less permanent jewels, than you can use glue dots instead of hot glue.

 

Then, I tied a ribbon around it, added some romantical doodads like craft pearls, ginormous diamond rings, plastic crystals, a paper doily and a wood letter... and there you go. Remember the bedazzled red room I posted earlier? Well this would fit in there for sure! But I like to keep the bling to a minimum.

  

 

 I love keeping white taper candles in an assortment of jars and vessels.

 





Even for a person who doesn't go all out on holiday decorating, like how I went *teensy weensy* overboard with my "mantel"... doing a fun and simple staging area like this for holiday related items can bring just a bit of that fun and sparkle into your home. My kids always love it! 

Homefront: Valentine's Mantel Decorating

I shopped a 90% off Christmas sale recently and got tons of berry garlands and goodies for next year. So, I thought I would try and use some for my Valentine's mantel. I usually keep them fairly tame, like those from 2011, 2010 and 2009... but I really wanted to throw some pink fluff in this year. 

 

All I bought for this craft was the pink felt heart for $2. Everything else I had around the house, and it became this:

See? All it takes is a little bit of ingenuity, hot glue and random supplies to make something cute. That center heart is just a simple pipe cleaner. You can buy the jewels at craft stores, or order them from me here in silver or an assortment of colors!

This heart I made a few years back was cute, but I wanted to glam it up and pinkify it to match my other heart. I used red nail polish on the black outer edge and pink glitter.

 She's all new and pretty in pink.

 

Yes, my IKEA Expedit bookcase makes a perfect "mantel" for decorating, since I no longer have a fireplace. Hmmm... do you think I should have added more pink or red? (My husband firmly declares, "No.", though men can still like pink.) What is your color of choice for Valentine's Day?

 Here, I used simple flower vases with Valentine's socks pulled over them.

My shabby green candelabra I painted a few years is still going strong, and getting more shabby chic by the year. She has lost some prisms, so I have to do some replacing.

This is a vintage letter/napkin holder I got for .50 cents at a garage sale. I gussied her up with some ivory paint, than dry brushed her with a pinky red, (my tutorial here). Actually, I may have made the paint a little milky by adding water, but basically the same technique.

 Love this print, by The Black Apple.

Homefront: Thanksgiving Mantel

My mom and I have been eyeing these lovely Thanksgiving statues at Hobby Lobby for a few years now. She is so pretty! We have Cherokee in our blood, so we love little Native American touches here and there.

 A "mantel" doesn't have to be over a fireplace!

My mantel before. Pretty, and a little plain. I wanted to add more personalization. The orange glitter pumpkin is the jack-o-lantern from my Halloween display, just turned around. Thanksgiving decorating is really just borrowing from Halloween and adding a bit to it. The 'styling' began with the two paper wrapped pumpkins. I was going to spray paint them gold, but thought it would be too bold, so instead I lightly handpainted them a metallic gold color so details can still peek through.

  

Then, I took that gold paint to the wreath and the cute little pilgrim sign, just to add some glint. I always have some sort of artificial flowers and such laying around, so I made a quick little floral display. My tutorial on making quick and easy floral arrangements here.

 I recently taught a Thankful/Memory jar idea the other night. Tutorial HERE!

 

Homefront: Reviving a Framed Painting with.... Paint

I got this large, Barbara Hails 1990's print in a semi-lovely fame at a garage sale for $7 a few months ago. It's been sitting here, looking all park bench floraly and very dull, sucking the energy out of the room. I only wanted it to bring some color to this massive brick wall, but the frame drabbed out any colors in the otherwise pretty painting. Obviously, the only clear solution is to paint it, white.

I'm lazy and don't sand, not even when I did my headboard or my mirror. But if you did prime and sand, you will have more longevity on the paint job and it will look better. I really don't mind if I have to touch up a nick, or I may even add intentional nicks to balance out accidental nicks.

 You can dry brush for a naturally shabby chic look and call it fin.

But I liked to pile on the paint, too thick layers, before allowing the first to dry. I'm impatient. I used plain old acrylic craft paint in ultra white. This painting doesn't come out of the frame. But if it did, then a can of spray paint would have been easy.

The print is a textured vinyl, so any paint I got on it, easily wiped off with a lightly dampened paper towel. I even think it would be fun to stencil or free paint some crazy design on here. If your picture surface is also not removable or vinyl, then be sure to cover it, so paint doesn't ruin your picture. I went around right under the frame edge with a piece of paper as I painted and it worked fine.

 It really does seem to brighten up the whole fireplace and give the colors some subtle intensity.

Our inheritance from my husband's grandmother's passing. His parents got this in Germany when he was  born and gifted it to his grandmother. A lovely, huge, vintage scenic candle, handcarved by Johann Gunter.  There are a few broken parts, but it's been moved around 20 times, though it is still very charming.

 I got his lovely bust and The Dicken's Bedside anthology book a few months ago at some antique shops.

 

Love my little bottle collections. This one is from my favorite antique mall a few years back and I glued a vintage brooch on with E6000. The flowers came from the mister. You know how a dying bouquet usually has a few good flowers left? I usually remove those when throwing the bouquet out and add them to small bottles.