decorating Archives - The Sparrow's Home

This custom art makes unique family portraits and beautifully personal gifts

November 15, 2021 by Susan Leave a Comment

Get custom art that is totally creative and unique to your family, or give a perfectly personal gift. And you’ll be supporting a gifted young artist, too!

A creative piece of art that makes you happy can be pricey. One that is unique to your family could be priceless.

These are such fun and different display pieces that I have already ordered them as gifts and for my own family. Besides that, it’s always a pleasure to support an artist who is such a delight.

I love pointing people in the direction of things that I love, and I am definitely pointing at this.

Free Christmas Printables to Brighten Your Season

November 30, 2016 by Susan 4 Comments

We put our Christmas decorations out this weekend. I really treasure the memories that I get to unpack and remember each year at this time.

“That was our first nativity set. We got it at that little store I worked at when we first got married.”

“My best friend from high school made me that snowman.”

“We got these Christmas plates on our first trip to Disney World.”

It’s an annual trip down memory lane and I love it.

Painted Mason Jars: Just a Pretty Face?

September 21, 2016 by Susan 2 Comments

I always have Mason jars around the house. Besides using them for canning, we use the half pint ones for juice glasses, the pint size for storing things like homemade caramel sauce and hot fudge, and all the way up to my beloved half gallon jars.

I haven’t done a lot of crafts with Mason jars, mainly because I need them to actually use. But when these shiny, painted jars caught my eye– I knew I could find a use for them as well. Win – Win.

Easy No Sew Curtains

June 14, 2016 by Susan 2 Comments

My dad is kind of a jack-of-all-trades. I’ve written about how he has helped me with various furniture upcycle projects for my home. I have an island, a light fixture, and a headboard thanks to his ingenuity.

He also sews.

I never knew it was weird for dads to sew until I started getting looks when I would mention it. I took mission trips to Mexico in high school and college on which the ladies had to wear dresses, in keeping with the tradition of the village we were going to. Every year, my dad sewed me a few new ones. Boy did that get laughs when I told the Mexican ladies!

I realized a few years ago that as much as I’d like it to be so, my dad isn’t going to be around forever and I didn’t have a clue how to hem, stitch, or sew a thing … aside from buttons. I took the required sewing class in 8^th grade home economics and have a pillow to show for it. But without someone standing behind me directing me, I was at a loss.

So Christmas that year became about sewing. I got a machine and learned how to use it. I’m still no expert, but can sew a (relatively) straight line. I’ve made some simple projects with success.

I’ve been thinking about sewing some curtains for a while.

A Unique Headboard

May 23, 2016 by Susan 4 Comments

A while back there was a show on HGTV called “Decorating Cents”. Joan Steffend did inexpensive home decorating projects. Every so often she would visit an architectural remnant store in a segment called, “Trash to Treasure”.

It was filmed in Minnesota, where I live.

I really love the idea of adding character to a home with re-purposing old items in new ways. The first project I ever undertook to do that was creating a headboard.

I knew I wanted to use something that wasn’t a headboard to make a headboard. I thought a door was my best bet. I looked at new doors and old doors. I looked at a lot of doors.

And then I stopped in Art & Architecture, the store that Joan Steffend used to spotlight on her show.

Wow.

Window Light Fixture

May 17, 2016 by Susan Leave a Comment

I’m an idea person…big picture all the way. My dad is an engineer, and can figure out a way to do just about anything. We make a great team when it comes to my home decorating projects!

The hutch that I made into an island was pretty cut and dry. My husband, who is talented in many ways but not especially handy, and I were able to complete it all on our own.