Joy, Contentment, Home, Garden, Family, and Fun
Hello and happy first day of October! Are you looking for a super simple way to add some fall cheer to your walls or classroom? These four fall printables remind me of a peaceful farmhouse and of simpler times.
I hope you enjoy them. Let’s be thankful for the little joys in life these days. 🙂
Okay so I have a long, long love affair with Asian style design, art, and porcelain pieces. Hence my blog name. And my overflowing china cabinets. 🙂 Chinoiserie Chic is a huge trend right now in home decor, and honestly it’s enough to make me want to redo my whole house.
But for today, I’m going to settle for four mini pumpkins. I love creative projects, and I have to say, this one really brought me joy to work on and I’m so happy with the results. Even with their imperfections, the pumpkins are unique works of art that were created by me.
This is a super low-stress project. Just get a few pumpkins, some really good fine tip permanent markers, some inspiration from your china dishes or a quick google search of chinoiserie prints, and spend a couple of hours creating. So de-stressing and relaxing! The only downside to my pumpkins is I made mine out of real mini white pumpkins and now I’m wishing I had used artificial white pumpkins so I could have kept these through Thanksgiving and for next year!
If you want to try this project, I recommend you consider buying some small pumpkins, spray painting them with chalk paint, doing your marker design, and then sealing them. That way you will have them for years to come, unlike me who will have to say goodbye to my little pumpkins in a few weeks.
Here are the step by step instructions for creating these little beauties.
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Supply List
Bic Ultra Fine Tip Permanent Markers
Churchhill Blue Willow Dishware
4. Using a fine tip marker in a color you would like to have throughout your design, draw the basic elements. I used this wonderful set of fine tip markers which gave me a huge variety of colors to work with. The great thing about the Asian motifs I used is that they are fairly simple–geomentric shapes, curved lines, flowers, and leaves. I used a brown marker for the outlines on two of them and the black for the blossom branch design. For the blue willow design I only used a couple of the shades of blue.
5. Once you have a rough outline, go back and fill in with the colors you want in your design.
6. Look back over the design and see where it could use some depth. Use another color to add a bit to some sections. For example, on some of my light green leaves, I added some purple.
7. Spray the pumpkins with a light coat of sealer.
That’s it! Such a fun project! Easier than I thought and great results! I hope you will give it a try and let me know how yours turned out and post your picture!
Aren’t outdoor sculptures so striking? The effect of a well-chosen outdoor accent can really add to the beauty and charm of outdoor spaces. I have been wanting to try some concrete projects for years, but I finally decided to give it a try this week. Creating something out of hypertufa, a mix of concrete, perlite, and peat moss, turned out to be a cool project with some pretty nice results. Since this was my first try, I definitely want to play around with it and see what else I can come up with and refine the technique a little.
For this project, I made a set of coppery pumpkins. They’re a cute little accent and you could use them indoors, on your porch, patio, or front steps. The fun part is deciding whether to leave them as-is or decorate them!
Supplies:
Portland Cement
Perlite
Peat Moss
Water
Trowel
Rubber bands
Tights or pantyhose
Dust mask
If painting copper-
Spray paint (I used Krylon fusion copper metallic)
For verdigris highlights: acrylic paints in green, gray, and antique gold
Wear a dust mask. Mix equal parts portland cement, perlite, and peat moss in a large bucket. Gradually add water, possibly up to one equal part. Mix in very slowly so you are controlling the consistency. It should not be crumbly but it cannot be too watery. It should be like a moldable mud texture.
For the smaller one, I added some shading for a verdigris effect. I used folk art acrylic paints in dark green and gray, mixed together for various shading, and also added some antique metallic gold.
I’m going to be trying some more cement projects, so I’ll let you know how they turn out. The possibilities for making your own decorative pieces with this stuff are endless!
Are you looking for some super simple Fall decorating ideas? I love changing things up for each new season, and this amber art glass pumpkin is my go-to for an Autumn update. I bought it a couple of years ago, and I have found it to be extremely versatile because of its classic shape and warm, neutral color. It’s at home anywhere you want a little bit of seasonal cheer, from the dining room centerpiece to the entryway, this piece works with anything.
Here are a few ideas to take your basic autumn decorative accents and combine them with other elements to create a multitude of looks.
For an entry table display, I combined the art glass pumpkin with mini metallic pumpkins and a vintage red yellow amberina Jeanette “Louisa” pattern carnival glass pedestal bowl. The result is a bright, traditional foyer that unmistakably welcomes in the new season.
This bright, cheery Bohemian entry table combines the art glass pumpkin with dried flowers in vibrant gold, fuchsia, and cobalt and a pretty aqua blue Fenton bud vase.
This glass pumpkin combines well with white accessories. Here we used an oversized letter with a bird and flower motif as well as some fresh white blooms.
Combine the pumpkin with a light-up marquee arrow, a fun welcome sign, and a vintage-style birdcage votive candle holder for a fun retro look.
The amber color of the pumpkin glass looks fantastic with natural elements and textures. Natural twig orbs, polished river stone, leaded glass votives, and bird figurines complete the look.
Blue Willow Lane 