Currently viewing the tag: "Spring"
I got my ‘grown-up’ Easter decorating fix with a few projects over the last couple of weeks. If you are looking for easy diy Easter decorating ideas, you might want to check out my simple Easter mantel, my shabby chic Easter wreath, or my pretty hydrangea globes.
For Easter, I mostly decorate for the kids’ enjoyment. You know the stuff…pastel dip-dyed eggs, homemade construction paper bunnies…that kind of thing.
I’m probably the biggest sucker of all for ‘old school’ Easter decorating ideas. My sisters and I would decorate real eggs every year…and not the hard-boiled kind. We’d poke holes in the top and bottom of the egg with a needle and blow out the yolk before we dyed them. (Yes, we were hard core, lol.) And, we’d use the same tattered little construction paper baskets every year to display them.
So, its no wonder that these are the kinds of things you’ll find around here these days…
(Real) eggs that Miss G decorated with our sitter…
they turned out so pretty, don’t you think?
And her paper bunny and chick, made at school,
which we hung on an egg garland with clothespins…
And, here’s a sweet little paper bunny bunting that we hung on the stairs…
And the chandelier got a little makeover too,
with some sequined eggs in mommy’s favorite color…
So do you decorate for Easter? Do you have any Easter decorating ideas to share?
Are you more of a paper bunny kind of decorator too?
Until next time,
Kerri 
I love coming up with new Easter decorating ideas. But sometimes, what you imagined in your head when you started a project, ends up being a whole lot different in reality. Sometimes ‘different’ means it ends up prettier than you imagined. Those projects are the best, aren’t they?!? But, sometimes, ‘different’ can mean that it doesn’t quite live up to your vision. 
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Like, for instance, this Easter wreath I made for my front door this year. It was prettier in my head. I imagined a perfectly imperfect kind of wreath made of tattered and torn materials that a spring bird might collect to build its nest. Shabby chic, in all its glory. I wasn’t totally satisfied with where I ended up. It was a little more shabby than chic! But I thought I’d share this Easter decorating idea with you guys anyway because being crafty is all about experimenting, yes?
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To get that ‘shabby chic’ look, I wrapped my ‘wreath form’ – actually a $2 pool noodle bent into an egg-shaped oval – with some washed/softened drop cloth. Yup, the very same stuff that you buy at the paint store…and the same stuff that’s been made famous by other decor bloggers who’ve made Pottery Barn-worthy sofa slip covers with it – truly amazing!
Next, I hand-tore a number of striped/ticking dish towels (un-used, just thought I’d add that in, lol) into strips so that they had tattered edges, and knotted the strips randomly around the wreath form. It was really that easy. I trimmed off the really shabby edges with pinking shears. I then glue-gunned on the freckled blue, green and cream Easter eggs, and I also added a bit of moss here and there.
I think it needs a little more of something (perhaps twigs)…or maybe a little less of something (perhaps eggs). I probably could have gotten it in better shape if I kept at it, but with 3 kids tugging me in 3 other directions, there’s only so much time that mommy can devote to indulging in Easter decorating and crafts!
So this is how it will remain this Easter. Perhaps next spring I’ll make another attempt at bringing it closer to my vision, but for now, I’m gonna embrace its imperfections!
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Until next time,
Kerri
P.S., I’m linking up at Southern Hospitality where you’ll find a plethora of beautiful Spring wreath ideas.
as well as Frugal Friday at…
If you have a mantel, shelf, or console table, you don’t have to look far for Easter decorating ideas. A few weeks ago, I decorated amy fireplace mantel for Spring (my Singing in the Rain Spring Mantel below) which I fully intended to keep around through Easter. But while de-cluttering our storage closet a few days ago, I came across my stash of Easter decor. And the wheels started turning…Could I? Should I? And before I knew it,
this…
became this…
Yes, I know what you are thinking. This girl is coo-koo, coo-koo. And, yes, I agree. When it comes to decorating, its like an external force takes over, and I have no self-control. The good thing is that I rounded up Easter decor I already had. I bought those pretty mercury-glass-looking Easter eggs at Winners (Canadian version of Marshalls) earlier this winter. They were really inexpensive.
I also bought the ‘Easter’ letters awhile back; they were originally covered in a coating of pastel polka dots, but I sprayed them in ‘champagne silver’ metallic paint.
Glass candlesticks are my mantle staple – I’ve had them for years, and you’ll see them on almost every mantel I’ve decorated. I bought the little egg wreath last year for my daughter’s room; it was completely lime green then, but I added a few muted blue eggs and some white feathers to tone it down a bit. Finally, I filled the little round frame with some pretty scrapbook paper. Of course, I couldn’t leave out my two vintage-looking bunnies (seen on last year’s Easter mantel). They’re not on the mantel this year, but they’re in on on the fun.
This newly decorated mantel feels more calming than the intense pops of pink in my original ‘spring’ one (above). The bright pink tulips were fun for a few weeks, but it was the kind of mantel that you can tire of easily. So I’m glad I changed things up.
Until next time, don’t be afraid to decorate whenever you feel inspired…even if others think you’re bonkers .
~Kerri
PS. I’m also sharing this post over at Beth’s!
as well as…
Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend!
We had a spring snowstorm yesterday at my sister’s place in Nova Scotia, where we are spending the weekend. But the kiddies made the best of it!
Here’s Miss G with my sweet niece and nephew…
Hope you’re doing something that involves a green snowman…
…or a Guinness!
See you next week,
Kerri
Using framed stationary or scrapbook paper to decorate your home is a great way to change things up seasonally, without going to the expense of buying new accessories that will only be used for a short time.
By now, you all should know that I’m a huge fan of scrapbook paper! I swear I could spend an hour or more in the stationary aisle at Michael’s. It’s my form of entertainment. Sad, but true. And, yes, I really do need to get out more, lol.
I’ve used paper for lots of projects around my home. At $1-$3 per 12×12 sheet, it is just about the most affordable wall art you can buy! There are so many styles to choose from that the possibilities of what you can create with it are just about endless. Take this graphic arrangement in my craft room, for example. I already had standard black and white frames that I could use, so the whole collection of framed pieces cost me under $10. I also made a large piece for my twin boys’ nursery from 6 sheets of scrapbook paper, which you can see by clicking here: DIY Nursery Artwork.
Last week was my first time using it to decorate a mantel.
When I spotted this cutie…
…and then this mod floral piece…
…and these rain drops…
…I knew they’d be coming home with me!
They were perfect for a Spring mantel that I’d imagined.
I simply cut the paper to fit frames of different sizes, and then arranged them on the mantel by layering them against each other. I already had the glass frames on hand – I purchased them at HomeSense a couple of years ago. I like how the edges feel kinda like large raindrops.
For the large Raindrops piece in the back, I adhered two 12×12 sheets to a 12×24 inch canvas, and then covered it with glossy mod podge. While the mod podge was still wet, I sprinkled some turquoise sparkles (from the Martha Stewart line) over the top to give it a nice shimmery effect. To give it some height, the canvas is attached to an easel.
All in all, excluding the things I already owned, this little arrangement cost me about $15. The paper was $5, and the canvas was about $10. (I already had the other supplies I needed like mod podge and glitter.)
The arrangement provided the focal point of my Spring Mantel, inspired by “Singing in the Rain, which I posted about the other day.
If you’re not one to change things up in your home seasonally because of the expense and the effort, why not buy a few sheets of seasonally-inspired scrapbook paper, and pull out some old frames you’re no longer using. Its a great way to add some festive spirit to your home without spending a heap on seasonal baubles and knickknacks.
And, you don’t need a mantel. Any shelf or side table will do!
Until next time, happy Spring decorating.
~Kerri
P.S. I’m sharing this with Beth…
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It’s an ironic day to talk about a diy Spring craft that can be used for Easter decorating, considering we woke up to snow this morning. (Or, maybe that makes it the perfect day!) Either way, I think I jinxed myself.
Brrrrrr! On to more Spring-like pictures!
My favorite flower is the hydrangea. Hydrangeas are generally considered a spring flower, and are widely available at Easter. But around here, we don’t begin to see hydrangeas bloom in soil until summer. That’s why when I saw a tutorial awhile back for a real-looking faux hydrangea globe , I knew I wanted to use them as part of my Easter decorating this year.
This Spring craft is so easy that it doesn’t even rank on the easy scale. Seriously.
The one thing that you would need to buy if you don’t already have one is a Martha Stewart hydrangea punch which is available at Michael’s. (No this post is not sponsored by Michaels.) You also need a million straight pins (well, not quite, but a lot) , card stock, and styrofoam balls. {By the way, please do not buy styrofoam balls at a craft store! They are like 10x the price there vs a dollar store. I bought a bag of them for $1.29 there vs over $10 elsewhere.}
If the pictures below are not self-explanatory, then pop over to the tutorial at LandeeSeeLandeeDo. (She also shares a stunning spring mantel). Seeing that it was her craft that inspired me, I feel its only right to send some blog love her way.
Here’s a few pics of the process I went through…
And here’s how they look now…
Pretty Easter decor, yes?
Easy Easter decor, yes?
And, the perfect Spring craft for a snow day?
Yes!
Until next time, happy Spring decorating (and dreaming!)
~Kerri
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I thought I’d share some fun news. My Easter Mantel from last year has been featured by Better Homes and Gardens home decorating ideas! You can find it by clicking here: Better Homes & Gardens - Real Home Spring & Easter Mantel Decorating Ideas.
This mantel was also featured on HGTV.com earlier this year in an article by Layla Palmer of The Lettered Cottage called “Decorating Your Mantel Year-Round”.
Looking back, I really like the simplicity of this mantel, versus my typical style of seasonal decorating. I skipped out on using the traditional Easter pastels (like yellow, pink, and mint green); and, instead stuck with a very muted color scheme. The potted grass and boxwood wreath provided an injection of nature (and some nice texture), while the glass candlesticks added a little sparkle. Maybe I can learn from my own mantel: Less is More. I’ve always been a “More is More” kind of decorator, but I find myself slowly moving away from that approach, and craving more clutter-free and simple living spaces.
I can’t wait to get started on this year’s Spring mantel. Spring is one of my favorite seasons for decorating. Do I say that every season? Yes, now that I say it, I think I do, lol.
Well, I really mean it when it comes to Spring. Spring weather comes late here, so we don’t get the traditional Spring flowers at the same time as warmer climates do. A big booooo to that. Sometimes spring flowers don’t bloom here until mid to late-June when the rest of you are already at the beach in your bikinis. (Jealous!)
So in the meantime, I’ll try and fake Spring by decorating inside with some bright blooms here and there.
Looking forward to sharing a newly-decorated Spring / Easter mantel with you in the coming weeks.
Until next time,
Kerri
P.S. Would you like to see how my mantel transformed through the seasons last year? Click here for Mantel Decor: A Full Year of Decorated Mantels to see how I decorated my mantel at least 7 different ways in 12 months.
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Welcome to A Pop of Pretty, a Canadian home decorating blog that chronicles my love of home decor and pretty things. I'm out to prove (mostly to myself!) that a pretty home is still possible amid the circus of 3 young kids, including twin toddlers. {More...}
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