Here’s a fun, early spring project to brighten up your home. This is simple enough for kids to do with very little adult assistance. Tending this tiny garden takes just seconds each day, and is so satisfying because you see results very quickly! Using the tutorial in this post, grow a fresh crop of grass for your spring decor.
Create a tablescape, centerpiece or fairy garden. How about making a May Day basket to hang on a friend’s door? A gnome playing hide and seek in the grass would be a fun surprise for little ones!
Once you’ve grown the grass, it’s time to pull out your spring decor, or shop the house for seasonal items. I’ve collected a ceramic rabbit, four different types of eggs, some plastic chicks, faux flowers and a faux bird nest.
Get creative and decorate with other containers you have on hand. I’ve used a basket, a trifle dish and a wooden crate. A vintage Pyrex bowl, silver ice bucket or a metal tin are all charming options. The possibilities are endless!
With just a slight change in accessories, here are three different looks for the same rustic, wooden basket.
A wooden crate makes a cozy home for a couple of crazy chicks.
A clear, glass trifle bowl puts all the layers on display.
If you try this project, I’d love to see your results! Happy Spring!
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
It’s very true in our 950 square foot cottage that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s central location means that we walk through here approximately eleventy-billion times a day. The Hoosier stands right in that passage, so when we’re not using it for food storage, I like to gussy it up for seasons and holidays.
I decided to pull together my meager collection of St. Pat’s decor along with all things ROYGBIV and see if I had enough to fill the Hoosier. Surely, my Fiestaware will do the job, right? Jerome the alpaca, and his rainbow unicorn girlfriend Celeste are both gifts from our niece, Mary. They’ll be our tour guides.
I pulled dishes, books and linens in every color of the rainbow and strung some fun miniature sphere lights. The lights are battery operated and have a 6 hour timer feature.
One year my sister and I swapped refrigerator boxes at Christmas. So funny!
My Hoosier Grandma’s vintage orange Fiestaware.
While we’re celebrating leprechauns, we might as well sneak some gilded unicorns in there too. This salt and pepper set was a gift from my cousin, Ruby. She gets me.
Since I wrote the post about removing rust from cast iron, Pa Kettle has snapped it up whenever he sees it at the flea market. I’ve got rusty cast iron stacked to the ceiling in the basement! He brought me this little cauldron and my initial thought was to tuck it away for Halloween, but I think it’s perfectly cute as a pot of gold.
Mr. Arthur was particularly interested in this addition to the Hoosier. He ate about 2/3 of these milk chocolate coins before I could photograph them! The leprechauns aren’t the only ones up to shenanigans around here.
The sparkle of the lights makes the Hoosier particularly magical at night.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour for St. Pat’s. I’ll leave you with the inscriptions from my collection of thrifted shamrock mugs.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
Let’s have a quick pop around the Hoosier, shall we? I don’t have loads of Valentine’s decor, so I keep things pretty simple with a heart wreath of red roses on the front door and all. the. red. and. pink. things. in the Hoosier.
These embroidered kitchen towels feature love birds and were given to me by my sister.
The Pyrex Cinderella nesting bowls in Gooseberry were a lucky thrift store find. At one time, we had the pink flour canister. I say ‘had’ because it flew a little too close to the sun and melted. Actually, it was snuggling with the Crock-pot on the counter. RIP, vintage canister. You were a good one.
The felt XO banner is a few years old, and from the Target dollar spot. Tiny clothes pins hold the tart tins to it.
Our wedding cake topper from 25 years ago. Back when Mr. Arthur wore a mustache because without it he looked 12 years old.
Lil’ nod to Sweden.
Pyrex refrigerator boxes and repro tins.
No fresh flowers? No problem! Pom poms on bamboo skewers make a charming bouquet. My sister made these poms and tied them onto Christmas packages a few years ago. They aren’t glued to the skewers, I simply popped them onto the pointed end.
Random fact: I used to hate the color combination of red and pink. Not sure why. I love it now, especially luscious, hot pink and red! I also love vintage cookie cutters even though it’s been ages since I made rolled cookies.
Vintage Paw and Maw mugs from our friend, Michelle. She gave these to us after getting our hillbilly on at the Hatfield & McCoy race. When we’re older and hard of hearing, we’ll holler at each other like this couple. But, today is not that day.
Because vintage tablecloths and polka dots are just fun! This mug holds a vat o’ tea.
Vintage Royledge decorative shelf edging via the flea market.
Have you enjoyed this little tour of our Hoosier cabinet all decked out for Valentine’s Day? Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s, Galentine’s, or having a hygge evening at home, I hope your day is beautiful!
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
One of my perpetual January tasks is to focus on getting organized. I’m always on the hunt for boxes and baskets to corral my stuff, particularly in closets and my crafting space. I needed a small basket to hold toiletries in the bathroom closet, and this one fit the bill. Almost.
As much as I enjoy word art, I didn’t love the word “dream” on the side of the fabric liner. So, out came my embroidery scissors and seam ripper.
Taking care not to cut through the liner fabric, I removed the embroidery. I pulled all those stray threads out from the front and back of the liner.
Now the liner is perfect, and surprisingly, I’m still able to dream without that bossy basket ordering me to do so!
Don’t be afraid to buy a decor item that almost works, if you can alter it to fit your needs.
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
A few years ago, I grouped our Christmas mugs, and hot cocoa fixings to create a little beverage center on one shelf of the Hoosier. We liked it so well that we’ve done it every year since then. Our guests can help themselves, and we simply replenish the supplies throughout the season.
I painted the sign on a scrap board leftover from another project.
We like to offer a selection of chocolate, marshmallows and peppermint candies for flavoring drinks.
This short string of lights is meant to surround a computer monitor, but it’s the perfect length for framing the beverage center. We’ve got it plugged into an adapter and timer.
This little snowman mug is a favorite gift from my mother-in-law.
Keep a supply of spoons nearby for mixing cocoa, and stirring honey into tea.
My sister (who knows me all too well!) gave me this sign, and I love it. It’s a good reminder this time of year!
This little tractor is one of my husband’s childhood toys. It is on display somewhere in the house throughout the year. Apparently, we had a bumper crop of peppermint!
Merry Christmas from Arthurized Home!
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
Like most things at Arthurized Home, our fall decor color story skews a little unconventional. Once the weather turns cooler, I like to add warmth and richness to our home using jewel tones. I challenged myself to (mostly) shop the house and create a fall arrangement for our coffee table/ottoman in the living room.
A co-worker gave me these deer shed antlers and I love them. I might as well get something back from the deer for all the damage they cause in the garden, right? The glass pumpkin is a new find from HomeGoods (similar) and the flocked votive holders are from the Arthur Archives. I think they came from Big Lots. I bought them in fuchsia as well.
This tray lives on our coffee table year-round and normally corrals the books I’m reading, a mug of hot tea and approximately one million remote controls for Mr. Arthur’s gadgets. Give or take a few.
I’ve simply swapped out the pumpkin and votive holders to create an entirely different look. The mercury glass pumpkin is a JoAnn’s find. It was on clearance at Halloween and may still be in some stores.
Changing the tray, and adding a punch of color in the quilt and book give a playful, new look. This unfinished quilt was made by my husband’s MawMaw. It’s smaller than twin size and I haven’t figured out quite how to finish it. So, for now I just fold the raw edges under and enjoy it anyway. I like its 1970’s vibe.
I’ve added a riot of color in various mismatched, jewel tone votive holders. I love the bright, boho look of it. The books were my Grandma’s and the small pumpkin is a Boulevard pumpkin apple scented candle.
Trading the wooden tray for a mirrored one completely changes the look. I love the way the candle holders reflect on both the pumpkin and the tray.
I hope this inspires you to shop your home and use your decor in unconventional ways this year. Have a cozy fall!
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
Here’s a quick and thrifty idea for fall decor. Paint acorns in every shade of the rainbow, (well, except for purple, apparently) and pearlize them. This is a simple and fun craft to make with kids.
Don’t you think these look like tiny candies?
Here’s how I made them:
Collect fallen acorns.
Rinse the acorns thoroughly, and allow them to dry completely.
(Bonus step: Bake the acorns in the oven at the lowest temperature for an hour or so, to kill any unwanted inhabitants. I didn’t do this, but I should have. I left mine in a bucket in the garage for two weeks or so. Apparently the little freeloaders can live for two weeks in there. Notice a worm. Scream like a girl, etc.)
Carefully paint the acorn using acrylic craft paint and flat and detail paint brushes. Let the first coat dry, then apply a second coat if necessary to get the desired coverage. One the acrylic paint has dried, apply a pearlizing medium over the acorn. This will soften the tone of the first coat considerably. Let dry, and display as you please.
Crank some tunes, make a mess! Sip a big ol’ mug of tea while you’re working.
Here are some ideas for variations:
Go monochromatic, and paint the entire acorn in a single color.
Create an ombre display using progressively darker tones of the same color.
Mix pearlizing medium directly into the acrylic paint if you like.
Dry-brush the cap using white paint for a weathered effect.
Paint glue onto the cap and sprinkle glitter over the wet glue.
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
It’s time to pull out the Halloween decor and get ready for Fright Night. (Actually, my Halloween tastes tend toward spooky/goofy/vintage rather than gory and horrific.) The Hoosier has a prominent place in our kitchen, so I love to decorate it for seasons and holidays. Care for a tour?
Our neighbor Norman (may he RIP) grew the gourd and gave it to me to paint. It’s been part of my Halloween decor for 13 years. I found these sweet ceramic jack-o-lanterns at a thrift store. Their insides are sooty from a previous owner burning what must’ve been the world’s tiniest tea light candles in them.
Rabbit Trail: I don’t burn real candles in the Hoosier. Have you ever seen a candle flare? Mark and I were watching TV one night and I had a jar candle burning on the coffee table. All of the sudden, the flame shot up about three feet into the air! It burned that way for just a second and then went back to burning as normal. We couldn’t believe what we’d just seen! That’s why I like to leave clearance of several feet around real candles.
The papier-mâché ornaments are from Department 56.
No such thing as unlucky black cats when they’re this sweet.
While the Hoosier is festive by day, it’s pure magic at night.
For the past several years, we’ve carved Funkins at my sister’s Halloween soiree. The Hoosier is chock full of them. Our nephew gave us the spiderweb candle below….about 20 years ago!
I debated placing the “G” marquee letter in front of the “eek”! We do geek out over Halloween.
The star led lights are from Anthropologie. They usually stock them before Christmas; I like to buy them on Boxing Day clearance.
Most everything in the Hoosier is thrifted, gifted, handmade or found on sale.
We put the string lights on a timer so they’re on for a few hours in the morning, and on again in the evening until we go to bed.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little jaunt through the Hoosier. Happy Halloween!
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
Have you ever noticed that when you update one area of your home, other spaces in your house can look a little, well…tired by comparison? Just me? A few weeks ago when I finished our guest and beach bedding update, I realized that the throw pillows in our living room were looking a little sad. Okay, a lot sad. Broken zipper, sad.
In other news, these IKEA feather pillow inserts are hardworking, and awesome. I’ve had them forever (15 years?!), and they look and function as good as new. Money well spent.
I wanted to update our living room without spending a lot of scratch, so when I lucked into a 70% off clearance sale at Pier 1, the heavens opened, the angels sang and so did their cash register. Actually, I averaged $8 each for these five pillows, so the singing was more of a faint warble.
I first spotted this pillow. Too much color? Pattern too crazy? I think not!
It’s just the right amount of crazy. Next, I spied the floral pillows and I knew that they would be BFFs. All that delicious beadwork. Those sequins and pom-poms.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: You can’t possibly take a nap on those pillows! You’ll have bead indentations pressed into your face for days afterward! Au contraire. These make perfectly fine napping pillows when you flip them over the the smooth back side. 100% tested and Arthurized.
Moving on.
Remember the rules for pattern mixing decor are the same as for your wardrobe. Let’s review:
Pull your color scheme from an inspiration piece. In this case, the floral pillow.
Colors do not need to match exactly, they should simply relate well to one another. Play nicely, kids! The magenta throw was packed away in my winter things, so I pulled it out for a pop of color on the sofa.
Mix prints in different scales.
Use texture for extra interest.
A pillow and throw update is a quick and inexpensive way to breathe new life into your decor. And if you need an even simpler refresh, a bouquet of flowers from the yard (or the grocery store) and a fragrant candle (I love Harmony Farms) will enliven any room of your home!
I’m not in partnership with any brands referenced in this post. I’m simply sharing products that I use and enjoy, and I hope you will like them too!
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
What was your favorite thing about going to summer camp as a child? I loved swimming in the lake, doing crafts, visiting the canteen and crushing on the hot lifeguards. They all seemed so wordly to my ten-year-old self. I hope they’re not all bald and paunchy now. I’d be so disappointed. Anywhoo.
As I decorated the summer Hoosier, I began to realize just how much camp decor we have. I don’t normally do themes, but figured it would be fun to give our bedroom and bathroom a quick and inexpensive refresh for the summer months.
The Hudson’s Bay blanket featured in the fire starters post became the jumping off point for the color scheme. These blankets are traditionally wool, but mine is acrylic and very lightweight. It’s all we need for a bed covering in the summer.
I used the back side of a Christmas pillow for the bolster.
The map pillow is made from a bandana given to my husband at one of his favorite trail races.
Several years ago, one of our sweet nieces embellished this vintage paint-by-numbers scene with a daring saying. I just love it! I’ve had the cottage arrow for ages, and recently found the red arrow at an antique store.
This fan was inherited from my husband’s great aunt, as was the plaid throw under the picnic basket. The fan is not safe to use, so I cut the cord off of it. Don’t want anyone to lose a digit.
I love this birch canoe for displaying bracelets. And yes, I would totally pack all of these for summer camp! #soextra #dontjudge
Did you play jacks as a kid? This decorative jack is a dedicated place to park our rings while doing yard work, sports, working with power tools or other dangerous pursuits. See also: Keep your digits, above.
Now, on to the bathroom: The vanity holds a variety of products for pampering hands. The jar that looks like grey sand is “Man Grit” (bought locally, I couldn’t find this online) an amazing-smelling hand scrub for hubby. The jar with the wooden spoon is “Moonshine“, my favorite “sugah” scrub from Charleston Soap Chef. Their “Sweet Tea” product is fantastic as well. That hunk of turquoise is a SoapRock, one of my gift-giving favorites. Roanokers can find them locally at Present Thyme.
Beach towels hung on hooks lend a bathhouse feel to the bathroom. The green, pink and aqua stripes are a cheerful nod to 1950’s decor. I made the “Cabins” sign from a child’s canoe paddle.
I bought the upper tennis racquet from a thrift store. I noticed the previous owner’s intials written on the frame and thought “It looks like it’s written in pencil, I’ll just erase it.” Later, I decided to keep the initials because it is part of the history of the piece. Then it hit me. They’re the same initials as my brother Matt, who we lost to cystic fibrosis when he was nineteen. I was meant to bring this one home.
Almost all of the decor was on hand in the Arthur Archives, thrifted, gifted, or from the flea market. Pa Kettle loaned me the dart board and croquet balls, which he refers to as “crochet balls”!
Because I’m nosy, and love to know how much things cost, here is a breakdown of what I spent, and where I found the items I purchased for this makeover.
Total spent on the bathroom: $22 $2 vintage tennis racquet – thrifted $20 for two, colorful beach towels SOLD OUT – Tarjay
Total spent on the bedroom: $27 $3 picnic basket – thrifted $9 red arrow – antique store $6 lake cottage painting – antique store $9 ’10’ sign – antique store
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little tour and are inspired to give your own decor a refresh. Now, I just need a cabin in the Adirondacks!
Disclosure: In addition to occasional sponsored posts, Arthurized Home uses clickable affiliate links. That means that I may receive a small commission from sales at no extra charge to you. As always, my opinion is 100% my own, and I only recommend things that I truly love or use myself. Thank you for patronizing the brands that support Arthurized Home!
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