Joy Seeker Badge, Step 3
A joy project is anything you can do to bring more joy into your life. You might paint a wall a fun, vibrant color, put up funky wallpaper, or make paper flowers. The list of potential joy projects is endless and should be tailored to what brings you joy. To complete Step 3 of the Joy Seeker Badge, we brought joy into our own homes through a series of joy projects. Today, we’ll share them with you to hopefully inspire you to do some joy projects of your own.
Designing a Joy Project
In her book, Joyful, Ingrid Fetell Lee offers guidance for developing a joy project. She suggests starting with the elements of joy that you want to capture in your home. Do you want your home to feel more playful? Maybe you want to add an element of celebration or renewal to your home. Energy, abundance, or freedom may also be calling to you. You can read more about the aesthetics of joy here or on Ingrid’s website.
Once you’ve decided which elements of joy you want to focus on, think about how you could combine them. A luxurious and scent-filled spa day brings the joyful elements of smell in combination with elements of renewal and abundance. An oversize wooden sun hung on the side of a house combines surprise (whimsy), play (round shapes), and energy (vibrant color).
Identify the supplies you’ll need and make a plan. What will you need to add, change, and remove from your space to complete your project?
15 Joy Project Ideas
Since learning more about the power joy has in our day-to-day lives, Katie and I have been seeking out small ways to bring joy into our homes. We’ve compiled a list of 15 joy projects you can complete in a weekend.
1. Hang colorful art. We both have stashes of art we bought at estate sales or art fairs that we have never hung. We dug some up and refreshed our frames with colorful prints. We also suggest leafing through magazines for colorful images that would make joyful displays. Travel magazines are a great choices if you enjoy landscape scenes.
2. Display quirky and meaningful objects. These are totally up to you. What makes you smile? Kate has a statue of Princess Leia that peaks out of the top shelf of her dish cabinet. Elizabeth has colorful wooden tulips on her bookshelf from a trip to Amsterdam.
3. Use crystals to capture rays of sun and cast rainbows over a space. These are inexpensive to buy and can be shipped to your house. This is a recent edition in my kitchen window and hanging between panes of my slider. If you spin the crystal, it creates a rainbow disco ball effect. What could be more joyful than that?
4. Embrace oversized objects for added whimsy and surprise. Kate has this giant spoon hanging over her stove. This fun piece was purchased at a second hand store for a few dollars and has been repainted several times.
5. Hang funky, temporary wallpaper. Wallpaper has come a long way from the gooey smelly mess it once was. This banana leaf wallpaper was an online Target purchase and is great quality. It couldn’t be easier to hang and easily pulls down if I tire of it. It adds a splash of color and fun in a guest bath.
6. Paint a wall, cabinet, or the back of a bookshelf a vibrant color. If you are nervous about committing to a color permanently, you can use painted pieces of cardboard cut to the size of the back of the bookshelf or stretch colorful fabric to fit the space. You could also hang some fun pictures or art inside a cabinet for added surprise! The inside of my kitchen cabinets hold fun pictures of the people I love cooking with and some departed loved ones. These pictures make me happy every time I see them.
7. Add a pom pom garland on a mantel or over a window. We love pom pom garlands so much we have different ones for different seasons. These are a fun and easy craft to make at home. Check out the Youtube video below.
8. Start an indoor garden. Bringing nature in and watching something turn from seed to plant is a great way to “grow joy”! This is a fun project for everyone and doesn’t take up a lot of space. Plant a small window garden, a bit larger patio garden or start many plants inside to transfer to a large garden later in the spring. Many seeds can be ordered online or picked up at your local grocery or garden store.
9. Make a garden loom. This has been on my bucket list for several years. I first saw one of these in the children’s gardens at Michigan State University. This seems like a perfect project for this spring!
10. Make paper flowers. Too cold for spring flowers where you live? Make your own! There are many fun ways to create paper flowers out of common craft supplies. Whip up a bouquet to brighten your day!
11. Create a colorful woven wall hanging. These have become quite popular and can be found everywhere. But why not make your own? Determine what size and color would fit your style and get busy creating a one of a kind art piece for you joyful home!
12. Build a “little library” for your neighborhood. Reading a good book has always brought me joy! Sharing a good book with others is next level joy! I love looking through little libraries and finding a hidden treasure. Consider building one for your neighborhood!
13. Plant joyful flowers like Allium and Queen Anne’s Lace. These flowers are amazing and reflect many elements of joy. Their blossoming, bursting shapes foster a sense of renewal and celebration while helping you feel present in nature.
14. Paint or blow up pictures of your pets. What brings us more joy than our pets? Why not display them prominently in a creative and joyful way in your home?
15. Freshen up an outside space with a colorful outdoor rug, pillows, twinkle lights, and a lantern. For those of us in Northern states, nothing brings us more joy than the arrival of spring and the opportunity to get outdoors. Take some time to make a comfy space to enjoy the fresh air and feel some sunshine!
We hope a few of these joy projects inspire you to get creative and spread some joy in your home! Get the entire family involved and encourage them to create a little joy in every room of your house. Create a few extra paper flowers or pom pom garlands to share with others and create a joy revolution!
How have you added joy to your home? Let us know! Comment below, send us a message, or reach out on Facebook or Instagram!
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