There's a unique and personal touch that comes with DIY décor – and not everyone masters the art of it. I was lucky to meet two of these creatives – happily married and ecstatic about retirement. They have a blast following Pinterest and drumming up their own projects, combining cool items from yesteryear and today to make something unique that has their stamp on it.

I think almost everyone who wed in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s can relate to this: married life starts out sparse. Furniture may be practical hand-me-downs from parents and grandparents, filling each room of newlywed apartments with nostalgic memories rather than high-ticket items from popular brands in an interior design shop. 

“I guess you could say I was a hoarder,” Betsy laughs when she tells a few of her friends about the early years married to Kerry, her husband of nearly 48 years. Four or five of us mingle around a counter filled with Christmas foods, little welcoming treats we enjoy over a drink, and great conversation one winter afternoon at a small holiday party. “When anyone moved out of our childhood home, I shamelessly took what they left behind. Other things were handed down, and we even went dump-digging – which was a ‘thing’ back in the day!”

You can sense the closeness between the couple, and I’m not surprised when Betsy reveals they got married on October 16th, 1976. “We chose that day because Hallmark said it was the ‘Sweetest Day of The Year’ – and we surely felt that way, blessed beyond measure.” Looking over at their wedding photo hanging on the wall of one room, we can almost feel the emotions of that long-ago day.

I learn that her father-in-law gifted items to the young couple, how Kerry’s aunt loved refinishing old, cast-off pieces of furniture and taught them how to do the same, and that there was a beloved business they frequented – the Henry Moak Antique Barn, where ‘boxed lots’ were auctioned off. They got many great items by out-bidding others. 

“We didn’t have kids right away, and we didn’t have much money either,” Kerry tells me as we stand in the kitchen of their welcoming home. “But that didn’t mean Betsy couldn’t make great gifts for family and friends throughout the year.” 

Indeed, she talks about being crafty, creating things with pinecones, baking delicious plates of cookies or other sweets, and making tons of presents with her infamous glue gun. “We put a lot of heart into everything we made and hoped family and friends could appreciate that.” Their sons Jonah (43) and Wesley (41) are married themselves and embrace how much fun mom and dad have with their DIY projects. 

Betsy tells us that one of her favorite Christmas gifts to make was to take a pinecone, dry it out, and paint the underside. “They looked like mum plants, and everyone was thrilled to get them!”

Looking around the happy couple’s property set out in the lush green countryside, a picturesque landscape that must be dotted with vibrant wildflowers and towering oak trees during the warmer months, everything I see appears to have the past attached to it. Handmade ornaments, old-fashioned Santas arranged on the deep shelves of a wood cabinet, a collection of well-used rolling pins set off to one side of a table. 

A beautiful woodsy theme stands proudly in the living room area. “Kerry took an old leftover log that we kept holding on to – for, I don’t know – two years maybe, hollowed it out, stripped off the bark, and made room for this succulent terrarium. I just strung the lights to liven it up a bit.” Betsy says. A few of us stand around it, oohing and ahhing over their ingenuity. Under a tree, Betsy’s Mom’s Baked Beans recipe is written out, sewn, and decorated with delicate cross-stitching. So many things we spy seem reverent to family, home, and love.   

Upstairs in the hallway, I look down and see the prettiest design working its way around the edge of the wood flooring. When I asked what it was made of and if Betsy had created it, she happily told me she had used napkins and decoupaged them to the floor. I grin and exclaim, “How on earth did you come up with that idea?” You guessed it—Pinterest. And Betsy ordered the napkins on Amazon. Man, things I’d never think of!

Their adorable pup, Bella, follows us around each room, even sitting in front of a set of doors showcasing curtains made from linen napkins sewn together in a colorful patchwork design. 

We wandered around this comfy, cozy home for a few hours, admiring the everyday decor and holiday decorations while enjoying platters of hot and cold food. It gave us ideas to work on to spruce up our own homes, but I wasn’t kidding myself. I didn’t have the creative knack Betsy and Kerry had, and I didn’t mind admitting out loud that it would never happen!!

Saying our goodbyes with hugs and laughter, ready to brave the freezing temps outside, we tucked the warmth of our holiday visit with us, waving from the car windows to the couple standing side by side, hugging in the doorway.