Spring Living Room Decor & Spread The Kindness Link Up On the Edge #797

I have some more DIY, upcycled, and thrifted home decor inspiration to share. With the weather consistently foiling my plans for outdoor outfit photographs, I have to resort to pictures from inside my home until the snow and rain stop.

Last month, I shared my Valentine-inspired living room decor but it was time to make a change as spring is so near that you can smell it. The bulky blanket scarf window treatments started feeling a bit too heavy for this time of year. I had contemplated returning to the brown and teal decor that preceded my raggy Christmas decor but it kind of felt a bit old and tired to me. So I opted instead for a bright and colorful mantle display.

First, I substituted the red and purple raggy garland with the cheerful rainbow raggy garland that once adorned my living room archway. Next, I used two matching lightweight scarves in orange and turquoise as my window treatments. I bought these two lace trimmed scarves for just a few dollars from a street vendor in New York City about a lifetime ago. They are a bit obnoxious so I rarely wear them, but they sure are fun to incorporate into my home decor. In fact, the turquoise one has spent the past few years draped over the lamp in my upstairs hallway. It created such a lovely blue hue when the light was turned on. I replaced the lamp shade scarf with my Fashion Rainbow scarf created by my dear friend Anne.

On the window sill beneath the turquoise scarf, I created a little arrangement of animal themed knick knacks in shades of blue, green, teal, and brown with hints of pink and purple. Nearly every object in this display was gifted, thrifted, handed down, or found. Actually, the only things that were purchased by me at retail prices are the two mushroom figurines which I found in the dollar section at Target a few years ago.

spring mantle decor, raggery, rag garland, thrifted home decor, Shelbee on the Rags, Shelbee on the Edge

For the side with the orange scarf, I created a display with my Saint Anthony statue as the focal point. All of the objects on this side were also thrifted, gifted, or handed down except for Saint Anthony himself. I made the small flower vases from my glass recyclables and some paint. That was such a great project in upcycling garbage!

Once the mantle was all done, I needed to change out the window treatment over the front living room window but I didn’t have a third large scarf that coordinated with the orange and turquoise ones. So I gathered up all of my brightly colored neckerchiefs and tied them in a row to the curtain rod for a really cute fringey effect. I suppose if I decide to wear one of these small scarves, I can just take it down and wear it!

I want to collect enough scarves to do the same thing on the triple window of the living room. But that is going to take some time because it probably needs about 40-50 scarves to cover the entire curtain rod.

Finally, I changed the location and position of some other living room decor items. I left Patchwork Shelbee on the old steamer trunk that was gifted to me decades ago. I painted it to match my teal living room a few years ago but it seems I never shared that furniture makeover project here. I moved my dress form from the living room dresser and partnered her with Patchwork Shelbee on top of the steamer trunk. I accessorized the dress form with some special items like the vintage butterfly brooches passed down to me from my mother-in-law. I left the colorful Christmas lights wrapped around Patchwork Shelbee for two reasons…because I really like them and because they were very tedious to wrap around her and I don’t feel like unwrapping them. The painting that is hanging right next to Patchwork Shelbee hung in our living room for my entire childhood. It was a wedding gift to my parents way back in 1968!

Finally, I rearranged some things on top of the living room dresser. I made the raggy tree for my Christmas decor but I liked it so much I decided to display it all year round. I just took the big red bow off the top and replaced it with a vintage doily. The little blue shelf was made by my husband when he was in middle school shop class! I added the coat of paint to match the living room. The ceramic statues belonged to my mother and were also displayed in our living room for my entire childhood. The twin oval pictures of the little girl and her dog belonged to my grandmother. They hung in her living room for my entire childhood and I always loved them. I am so glad that I inherited them! The teal standing mirror was a secondhand gift to me that I painted to match my living room decor. The only object in this display (other than the candles) that was not thrifted, gifted, or upcycled is the dresser itself. And that now needs a makeover. It’s on my spring and summer to-do list!

The last thing that needed changing out for spring was my front door decoration. I switch it around between raggy tassels and my Christmas wreath but for this winter to spring transition, I thought my geese wind chime was a nice addition.

There are so many more things that need to be done inside my home which are causing my project list to grow exponentially. I can’t wait to get started. Stay tuned for more DIY and upcycling projects coming soon!