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Seaside Inspiration for Your Windows

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Seaside Inspiration for Your Windows

There’s no tutorial for this, I’m providing it to you strictly for inspirational purposes. Back in 2010 Heather Bullard visited Rachel Ashwell and was greeted by this lovely decoration on the front door. I quote “To welcome Rachel they had festooned the front door with swags of muslin, seashells and tulle. So PRETTY!”

Oh Heather, I couldn’t agree more! It wouldn’t be hard to do either. You’d need some muslin and maybe a stamp or a stencil for the words. From what I can see, they took a starfish (readily available at craft stores) and glued on some rhinestones, then wrapped a long strip of muslin around the center of the starfish and used it as a tie back. Throw some pretty sea glass colored tulle in the mix and voila! Done! You can see Heather’s full post about the visit here.

I also want to tell you that I found this image on Pinterest. However, that pin linked over to a Tumblr account with no credit to where it came from (big shocker, I know!). Luckily there was a watermark on the photo from HeatherBullard.com. So I went to her site and unfortunately, because I used “beach” and “window” as my keywords, a search failed me.

All was not lost though! If you don’t know already, you can usually find the source of an image via Google by going to Google and clicking on the Image tab. Then you enter the url of the image and it will pull up all similar images on the web. Many of them will be on Pinterest. I found the original source on page two.

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Comments

  1. I love this so much Amanda that I pinned it to my Sea Dreams Cottage Board! Thanks for taking the time to find the original source and provide a link to it. I try not to pin anything that doesn’t have the source included so I appreciate your effort!

Have you read?

Building with Nature: My Experience with Natural Birdhouses

If you’re someone who enjoys DIY woodworking projects and has a soft spot for garden wildlife, Natural Birdhouses by Maria and Amen Fisher is a must-read. I picked this book up recently and have been completely inspired by the earthy, sustainable approach it offers to building homes for birds, bats, and even beneficial bugs.

What really drew me in was the focus on using found wood and natural materials—think branches, logs, reclaimed boards, and other bits of nature you can often source from your own backyard or a nearby forest. Not only does this make the projects eco-friendly, but it also gives everything a beautiful, rustic feel that blends effortlessly into any garden or backyard setting.

The book includes 25 step-by-step projects, all clearly explained and illustrated, which makes it accessible for both beginner and seasoned crafters. Even if you don’t have a fully-equipped workshop, most of these can be tackled with just a few basic tools and a bit of patience.

I started with a simple birdhouse design, using some weathered fence boards I had stashed in the shed. The instructions were easy to follow, and I was surprised how quickly it came together. Within a couple of days of putting it out in the garden, a curious little sparrow showed up—talk about instant reward! I’ve since bookmarked the bat box project and one of the insect hotel builds for next weekend.

What I really love about this book is that it’s not just about crafting; it’s about encouraging wildlife and creating a more natural, welcoming habitat right in your own yard. It’s a great way to involve kids, too—mine were fascinated by the idea of building a bug hotel and couldn’t wait to help collect materials.

If you’re looking for nature-inspired DIY garden projects that not only look good but also serve a purpose, Natural Birdhouses is full of ideas that check all the boxes. It’s creative, environmentally conscious, and a great way to spend time outdoors while giving something back to the ecosystem.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone into sustainable gardening, backyard birdwatching, or rustic outdoor décor. Let me know if you give it a try—I’d love to hear what you build!