Whether you recently bought a home in Toronto, ON, or a townhouse in Nashville, TN – it can often feel intimidating decorating your home, with the countless decor options to choose from. Sometimes when it’s all said and done, if the pieces you chose don’t reflect your personality and your style is absent from the space, your house can feel unfamiliar.
Bringing meaningful handmade home decor into a space is what distinguishes a house from a home. Handmade items and decor – whether it’s created by an artisan or by yourself, can really transform a space. We reached out to some of our favorite creators to get their unique ideas on how to enrich your home’s interior with handmade home decor that brings you happiness, and highlights your personality to create a space that means so much more.
Find feature pieces for your handmade home decor
As an artist, I enjoy collecting works that become feature pieces in the home; rather than just an accent. Adding a ceramic vase that is bold in color can be the statement for a dining table, or perhaps a sculptural piece for an end table or bookshelf. When art is seen as the feature piece of a space rather than a simple addition, bold statements become a favorite to any home and guest who may enter them. – S. Rueter Art
Find pieces that have a purpose
As a ceramicist and pottery wheel instructor, I find that the things that don’t sell or the items I keep end up on a countertop in my kitchen to hold salt, a counter in my bathroom to hold cotton balls and my toothbrush, and all around the house to hold anything from spare change to jewelry. I mostly make utilitarian items so that everything has at least one purpose. This makes it easy to scatter ceramic vessels filled with water and plant cuttings around the house. – Emily Hohertz of Hohertz Ceramics
Use museum putty to secure sculptural art
Many people assume that they cannot have ceramic art in their home because they have children and/or pets. To them, I’d say, “Stop denying yourself!” There’s a simple and very inexpensive miracle product that does not damage furniture, keeps ceramic art stable even if children bump into the artwork, prevents the cat from pushing a clay sculpture off the mantel, stops the dog’s tail from whacking 3D art off the coffee table, and keeps the art secure even through most earthquakes. The art can only be moved by a deliberate twist and upward lift. That product is called museum putty. – Cindy Douglass of StardustPottery.com
Make a mug menu
One of the delights of pottery as an art form is that a lot of it is functional. Potters love making mugs, so one way to check off both decor and utility is with a mug menu. Find a space in your kitchen for a long, narrow cutting board that can hold 5 different handmade mugs. This space will become both a display for your functional art and a way of making a real moment out of your morning coffee or afternoon happy hour routine. Select five to start, then choose and appreciate the cup you want to use that day. Rotate through your collection to make sure all your pottery gets a chance to shine. – Juniper Clay
Pick a project you’ll enjoy creating
Creating handmade décor is not only about making a new piece for your home but about reminding you to pause and take time out for yourself. Choose the project that you will enjoy making and don’t worry about it being perfect. One of my most favorite pieces was cross-stitched on an old sieve.- Artmishka Cross Stitch
Decorate around a theme of your choice
When you decorate your house for Christmas or any holiday, it gives you a satisfied and comfortable feeling. But no feeling can compare to how elated you will be when the decor comes from your own hands. Choose a theme for a table, and decorate around that theme. This will help you to keep focus and prevent your decorations from getting out of control. Examples of themes can be cozy, botanical, game-related, geographical, and more. – Bungalow Quilting and Yarn
Find pieces that you connect with
Using a piece of handmade pottery can create a moment when you pause, notice and reflect, bringing mindfulness to your day and thus enhancing your life experience. Seek out pieces that resonate with you and that will make the everyday moments of your life more beautiful. I believe that the essence of a potter is contained within anything they make, so a personal connection to the maker can heighten your experience of connection each and every time you use it. – Susan O’Hanlon Pottery, LLC
Handmade pottery is such a great way to perk up your table
Whether it is one or two high-impact serving pieces, or a full set of handmade dinnerware, it is a unique way to showcase your individual style. Show your personality by choosing pieces that you love. – Sarah Bak Pottery
Enrich your space and add richness to the story of your home
Handmade ceramics in particular offer an endless number of ways to personalize a space with various sizes, shapes, colors, patterns, and textures. Many people are drawn to the work of a particular artist because they share a common eye for certain characteristics of their work. Embrace that connection with the artist, learn about them and what inspired them, and place multiple pieces throughout your home. It will not only tie rooms together, but you’ll also have a unique story to tell your guests that will add richness to the space that only a handmade piece can do. – Jason Flanagan, Founder & Curator, Nicole-Rhea | Artisan Crafted Homewares
Accentuate your style and personality
Embroidery is no longer the sweet innocent craft our grandmothers knew it to be – these days embroidery is unique, modern, subversive, and sassy. It’s a perfect way to bring your own style and sense of humor into your décor, whilst having the added weight of being an impressive piece of hand-crafted artwork. Stitch with yourself in mind, and your personality will shine through. – Stitchyawitch.com
Pay attention to the size and rotate artwork with the seasons
Painting sizes are important, and I think it’s great to have a variation between smaller work and larger pieces. Bigger work will be best in a larger space where the viewer can step back and take in the full picture. Smaller pieces are perfect for more intimate spaces, and can add so much charm to a room. I highly recommend rotating your artwork regularly. This gives you the freedom to splurge on those more seasonal pieces, and it can add a level of excitement and tradition to your household. Your guests will always be wondering and looking for the newest additions. – Heather Ihn Martin Fine Art
Opt for quality fabrics and threads for quilting
You can add your own personal style by creating handmade quilted accessories to decorate your home, the key is to select good quality fabrics and threads. In terms of colors, you have to consider the color palette that you use at your home, knowing that I recommend you to use your handmade accessories as an accent in terms of color, to give spark and interest in your overall decoration. – Carolina Oneto
Combine the new with the old
As a textile artist and pattern designer, I’ve said goodbye to minimalism and love the look of a gallery wall in a home that incorporates the old with the new, creating a story of warmth and texture with textile art. Hang that ancestral cross stitch sampler that has been handed down to you with a new cross stitch designer’s work. Search for reproductions of beautiful 19th-Century Needlepoint designs at online auctions and include them in your gallery wall with a cheeky cross stitch from an artist on Etsy. – Laura Daub
Personalize your space
Adding quilted items to a room not only brings texture to the room they bring color, warmth, a sense of home, and a bit of personality. A ladder in the corner of a room is a great way to display quilts made by family members and they will surround you with the memories of those who made them. If you don’t have family quilts look in flea markets and second-hand shops for quilts that fit your personal style. – The Quilting Room with Mel
Add comfort and warmth with knit or crochet items
Sprinkling knit or crochet décor items throughout any space provide a sense of warmth and cozy, so integrating practical pieces featuring unique stitch textures and items of various yarn weights and fibers make each piece stand out. After choosing a color palette, whether it be neutral or colorful, you can easily pump up the cozy by layering various textures and fibers to make a comforting, lovely space. – Darling Jadore
Find a piece of art you connect with
Finding the right piece of art to live with is much like finding a lover. You want to feel a flutter whenever you enter the same space. If the work is right it should challenge you, stimulate, fascinate, and arouse your curiosity over and over. Look for a long-lasting relationship with the work, they are the most satisfying. – Donald Martiny
Choose functional pieces that bring you joy
When choosing pottery pieces for your space, consider its function as well as how it makes you feel (color, shape, size, etc… blue makes me happy!). So let’s say I have a blue cup that reminds me of the ocean – now I have a piece that makes me feel good, and is multifunctional because I can also use it as a pen holder. Pieces like that can really come in handy and make you happy every time you look at it. – AKR Ceramics
Don’t overdo it
A statement throw in the living room, or stylish hand-knit towels in the kitchen, is a super modern and eye-catching way to add knitted decor to your home. – The Knitting Times
Choose to rent artwork instead of purchase
A great way to incorporate handmade decor into your home is to rent instead of purchase artwork. Renting allows you to experience a variety of art without commitment, so you can experiment and find items that fit your space perfectly. If you are reluctant to let go of a piece at the end of the rental period, you can keep it forever by applying the rental fees to the cost and paying the difference. – Tatyana Ostapenko
Enhance your decor with quilted items, no matter your style
Quilted items are always nice to have throughout your home, hanging over a cozy armchair or the back of a couch. Depending on the home interior style though, there are many options from traditional to modern, which uses solid fabrics and quilting as the design. To incorporate quilting into your home décor you can easily use quilted throws and/or quilted pillows/shams for the couch or bed. A lot of items that people may not realize can be quilted for seasonal décor include placemats, table runners, bed runners, wall hangings (large or small), Christmas tree ornaments, stockings, drink coasters, pet bedding, etc., the possibilities are endless. – Double E Quilting
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