A Patriotic Porch Pinterest Challenge
Get fun fourth of july decorating ideas with vintage style!
Summer is the time to ramp up the fun factor with your decorating! Pull out the red, white and blue and everything nostalgic and create some new family memories. Whether you’re hosting a family reunion with hoards of people or just hanging out at the cabin with your inner circle, adding some extra touches to your outdoor/indoor spaces is definitely on the menu! I’ve got tons of amazing inspiration for you today, blog hop style: A Patriotic Porch Pinterest Challenge is only the beginning!
Thanks to our gracious hostess, Cindy, of County Road 406 for organizing this fun get-together of festive creativity! Every month this talented group of bloggers are challenging ourselves to decorate around 1 inspirational photo. This month we went patriotic to celebrate the summer holidays!
If you’re stopping over from Blue Sky at Home, I’m sure you enjoyed Carol’s festive Fourth of July vignette. It’s so fun to see everyone’s personal style come through.
Now on to our challenge pic! The patriotic porch we are all decorating around was styled by the super talented Mary from “Home is Where the Boat Is”. Mary harkens from a retail background like me, and she knows how to style a beautiful scene with all the amazing details! Take a look at her whole post and see the fun red, white and blue cakes in canning jars she made to go along with this patriotic setting;)
I love Mary’s adirondack-styled bench and the vintage screen porch this setting is in. What a relaxing spot to enjoy a summer read!
The First Step to Recreate a Pinterest Challenge is to Examine the Styling Elements
I’m hoping that through this Pinterest Challenge, you’ll see that decorating is a process. It’s not a one and done kind of thing. Even as I was creating this scene, it took several tries before I was happy with the result. I’ll share some of that process as I go, hopefully to encourage you to keep at it until you’re satisfied!
Here are the elements in Mary’s pic that I noticed and wanted to recreate:
Once you’ve evaluated all the elements in the picture, decide how you want to make it your own. Are you going to use all the same foundational pieces? Are you going to use the same exact colors? Where are you going to create this setting; location?
A Patriotic Porch Pinterest Challenge
Recreate the Pinterest Challenge, Using Your Own Personality and Style
Red, white and blue set against a white backdrop is definitely classic, but I like to soften the edges a little and add the toned-down colors of pink and light blue in my patriotic styling. I took the idea of pillows made out of vintage bedding and ran with it! I decided to create a scene that celebrated vintage americana textiles with old quilts, feedsacks, and flags.
All About the Pillows…Create a Color Scheme
I had a tattered family quilt that was in need of repurposing. It was the perfect color scheme I was thinking about: red, white and blue with some pink and even a touch of soft yellow. On the first run of this vignette, I draped it over the back of the swinging bench. Cute, but it didn’t look like our imitation photo; I needed pillows. I also dug up an old clothespin bag who’s typography had faded to the perfect stage of pink for my liking and had a bonus red piping around. The crisp blue and white quilted pillow cover reminded me of the graphic red and white pillow in Mary’s pic.
But I still needed a flag pillow for the center of the whole scene! The denim pockets I used for my “Blue and White Tea Party for Mom” were calling me. I whipped up a stylized version of an American flag with some bits and bobs I had laying around:
Once the pillows were made, the bench part of the vignette was complete! I did 5 pillows compared to our imitation 3, but you can never have enough vintage textile pillows, right?
Decide on the Foundational Pieces You’ll Use for your Pinterest Challenge Pic
We have been tirelessly working on sanding our whole deck before our impending last child’s grad party, so things around our yard are a little…out of place (to say the least). This Patriotic Porch scene was styled right outside our back door and had to be done in stages, a.k.a. real life;)
For the foundational pieces in the picture, I used a curbside find swinging bench that I’d sprayed a light gray with a new-to-me cut down enamelware-top vintage kitchen table. (I can’t wait to work on this one a little) I added one of my favorite little stools to get my grandma’s galvanized watering can a little higher. This stool is the perfect combo of pink and red, so it fit in nicely!
I picked up my first flowers at the garden mart, combining the red and pink, along with the lighter blue and white. Vintage gauzy flags and new ones stick out of the dirt just like in the picture.
Rather than the round pinwheels in the Pinterest pic, I used some lovely roses made from vintage feedsacks I’d picked up at the spring Junk Bonanza. I like these so much, I think I need to try to make some; I’d kind of like a whole wreath of them! An old marching band baton in red, white and blue adds to the watering can fun.
Learn how to make the DIY Fabric Roses here.
Add Classic Americana Touches to Your Pinterest Scene
The inspiration photo featured patriotic place settings on the coffee table in a basket. At first glance, I hadn’t realized this. Instead of using ball jars, I thought it would be fun to use old glass pop bottles with their awesome graphics. I popped a couple of flags into the pop bottles for more of a centerpiece.
I also pulled out some vintage card games and some colorful superballs to add a bit of family fun vibes.
Can you spot the “before” or first run of this scene? Remember how I said decorating is a process? The chippy deck boards can be seen, the quilt before it became pillows, and the flags in the centerpiece. (FYI…I like chippiness on my vintage furniture…not on my deck;)
Look Back at Your Inspiration Pinterest Challenge Photo for Reference
Something just wasn’t right. I looked back at the ‘Home is Where the Boat Is’ pic and realized everything on my coffee table was too tall. I also liked how she’d tied some cute ribbon around the jar. Back to the basement to dig up some grosgrain ribbon. Each pop bottle got treated to a ribbon and a straw, for a more place setting-type of look.
The vintage caramel tin also got a re-do the second time around. The first time around it was a vessel for some tulips, next it became a game-time treat;) Boy, did that licorice smell good; I maybe had to sample one!
I hope you’re beginning to get some insight into this process. Decorating takes time and creativity, but it’s all fun! It helps when you have a Pinterest picture to guide you and then to make it your own.
Ready for the big reveal? The add pink + a whole lot of vintage textiles version?
And then for true Americana, magazine-cover charm, add the family dog;)
(who then got a little licorice treat for her patient posing)
I hope this walk-through of recreating a Pinterest-worthy picture inspires you to find your own to work from! I can’t wait to see what all the other creative ladies came up with! It’s so fun to see everyone’s personal style stamp on these challenges!
Become a Lora B Insider to get FREE Resources!
If you enjoyed the decorating tips in this post, you probably would enjoy becoming a Lora B Insider! You’ll get free access to all my decorative and helpful resources, plus stay creatively motivated with my weekly email! I’ve even got a printable to make a cute diy 4th of July garland!
If you’re blog hopping in order, visit Julie at My Wee Abode next; I’m sure her Fourth of July decorating ideas for those with smaller porches will be helpful! Thanks for reading A Patriotic Porch Pinterest Challenge. Hopefully you’re encouraged to enjoy the decorating process in all it’s stages, too!
Pin, Share, and enjoy the rest of the Patriotic Porch Challenge!
Sharing at these lovely parties:
Wall to Wall DIY Wednesday
Much appreciated!
The flowers take the show. Please give us a tutorial.
But the dog stole the show!
Here’s the fabric flower how to: https://lorabloomquist.comdiy-fabric-roses-vintage-farmhouse-style/ Thanks for reminding me to add it to the post!
Your sweet pup is precious! I am loving how all the vintage goodies came together to create this patriotic vignette. They pillows are amazing!
Thanks, Christy! Glad for an excuse to whip up some “new” pillows for myself!
I love your faux flag pillow–darling!
Thanks, Marilyn! I really should do a how-to on that one;it was so easy!
What a great post! The vintage-Americana lover in me is going crazy for all the fun details in your styled tray! I always pull out vintage soda bottles around the Fourth of July too. They are just perfect and yours look so cute. I love the little colorful balls, the crayon… all remind me of a childhood Fourth of July!
Your pillows are just wonderful! Those feedsack roses though…I must find some! I have to say the baton just might be my favorite addition! I can hear the John Phillip Sousa blaring in my mind!
It was so fun joining you for this challenge! Enjoy all the patriotic summer fun ahead!
Yes, isn’t that baton fun, Amber? I think I picked it up in a roadside pile somewhere; don’t even remember, but it brought me back to marching band days;)
I really feel inspired after seeing all the beautiful patriotic decor.
Have a great week,
Kippi
#kippiathome
Glad you enjoyed it all, Kippi! So fun to see everyone’s versions at their different-styled homes;)
This is so charming, Lora! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Cecilia!
I love your version and especially those pretty pillows you whipped up. I am in love with the version of your sweet dog, he did an excellent job of posing.
Thanks, Marlene! I haven’t sewn any new pillows for myself for quite a while, and I’m enjoying these! Yes, the doodle dog did pretty good for the photo shoot;)
Lora, I really enjoyed seeing your process. I loved all of your pillows. I wish I had a porch instead of just a small set of stairs! And then time to sit there (black flies and mosquitoes are fierce!). I tend to get my sparse supply of red, white, and blue out for Memorial Day and leave it up through July 4th and slightly beyond! Am learning to collect vintage bits and bobs that are themed; it’s a fun process, too!
Lora, I just love all the details of your setting. You are so right about decorating being a process. Sometimes things come together easily and sometimes you have to really work at it until things feel and look just right. All the vintage pieces came together. Using the quilted pieces was a great idea. The vintage candy boxes are darling. Your sweet puppy was a great idea. Vintage, too?
Thanks, Carol! Yes, think doggie is getting pretty vintage herself;) Fun hopping with you this round!
Lora, your interpretation of the photo is absolutely lovely, and I really enjoyed going “behind the scenes” to see your process. You did a wonderful job explaining how you played with different items until you found something to your liking. I’m in awe of your creativity. One minute we see a quilt, then POOF they are transformed into pillows! The whole scene (especially with the dog) evokes a Norman Rockwell kind of charm. Love it!
It did look a little Norman Rockwell on the porch that day, with the whole scene, Crissy;) So glad you enjoyed seeing the process behind the scenes and the final outcome! Thx!
I am in love with every single pillow. I might make myself a blue and white check pillow like yours.
And I need to figure out how to make those cloth flowers.
You created a beautiful version of the inspiration photo.
Thanks, Carol! A blue and white checked pillow would look perfect in your adorable home. I’m going to do a little searching to find out how to make those flowers, too; they’re so fun!
Hi Lora, ABSOLUTELY wonderful!!! I love everything about your vintage porch display. that’s the part that’s best, it’s vintage! Love the pillows, old watering can, all your details that bring it all together so perfectly!
So glad you enjoyed it, Debra! Yes, I have plenty of vintage to go around;)
LOVE this!!! Subbed!! LOL could you direct me to a link of how you made the flowers? Love how you used the licorice and all the different textiles. Can’t wait to explore more from you
Thanks, Megan! I bought the flowers that another crafter made, but I want to learn how to make them, too, so I’m going to do a little searching & experimenting! If I figure them out, I will definitely share it here! Happy reading; have fun!
Lora, I love all the pillows you made for this Pinterest Challenge and your inspired porch turned out beautifully!!! I especially like the the blue jean pocket pillow. I’ve done a few things with jean pockets so I’ll have to try a pillow! <3 I like how you shared several versions; I went through the same process before I was happy with what I created. Really pretty with the quilts, flags and flowers ~ and your sweet pup! Is she a Golden Doodle??
Happy summertime,
Barb 🙂
Thanks, Barbara! This hop was a good excuse to get some new summer pillows made. And yes, she is a goldendoodle, cut pretty short right now;)
LOVE it Lora B! I have never thought to make pillows from a quilt and now I’m on the hunt for one! And who else gets to say “I whipped up a stylized version of an American flag with some bits and bobs I had laying around” ?! Not me! I seriously adore how your version of the challenge turned out. It’s all kinds of vintage vivaciousness! Thank you so much for joining in.
Thanks, Cindy! Ragged old quilts can be found for a song-or less-and I can’t let a single one get thrown out! Good luck on the hunt; always glad to give a friend another reason to vintage shop;0 I probably should do a tutorial on that flag pillow, but it’s so hard to snap good pics when you’re sewing at night, right?
Oh Lora I am SWOONING with delight. I am such a lover of antique textiles and all of yours are truly lovely. What a fabulous collection!
Yes, Laura, you and I definitely share a love of vintage textiles! They are seriously taking over my house, and I can’t part with a single one:0 This challenge was a great reason to get some whipped into usability! Someday I should count how many old quilts in various stages of recreation are around here…
Wow! You did SUCH a great job on your challenge! Love the pink accents, and how you added different prints that still ‘sing’ patriotic style! Love those pillows, too! Pinned!
Thanks, Julie! Kinda nice to see that patriotic doesn’t have to only be red, white, and blue, right? (insert winkie face)
Lora I am loving the quilt pillows you made and the flowers. Great idea and such an amazing inspiration. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Terrie! This challenge was a great way to get some “new” pillows around here;)
I always love seeing what you come up with for these challenges. Your version makes my vintage loving heart pitter-patter hard! I love the pillows you made, especially your stylized American flag one. The flowers in your watering can are so pretty. I’m looking forward to a tutorial to learn how to make them. You have the best vintage goodies to use in vignettes and you are a master of styling them to perfection.
Thanks for your sweet words, friend;) I love these challenges; it gets my old store styling juices satisfied (plus, I actually make something for myself)! If I can just figure out how to make those flowers myself, I will definitely share it!
Lora,
The vintage quilt pillows are amazing!! I love how you used softer colors, like the pink & blue tones. The watering can with the grain sack roses is such a fun touch! I just love the whole vignette!!!
Have a beautiful day!
Thanks, Bobbi! Glad you enjoyed it all; it was fun!
I always love what you do. That swing is a keeper. You’ve got some cute, cute vintage elements!
Aw, thanks, Katie!I always dreamed of having a swinging bench on a covered porch when I was a little girl, now I have 2-one at each corner;)
This is so pretty, Lora! You did a wonderful job!
Thanks, Linda! Kinda like setting up a store vignette again, except I get to enjoy it at my house;)
It’s all so beautiful Lora🇺🇸🙌🏻
Thanks, Ann! It was a fun one! (course, they all are;)
What a charming Patriotic vignette!! Love how you styled the table and those pillows are gorgeous!!
Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hugs,
Debbie
Thanks, Debbie! I can’t wait to work on that table a little; it’s missing it’s drawer and needs a little TLC. I love those old legs with the lines:)
Lora, I love your vignette with all of the vintage touches. Those pillows are so pretty and I love the vintage fabric roses…what a great find! Have a great day! Hugs!
Thanks, Benita! I love the variety we all brought to this hop; beautiful ideas!