Baby, It’s Cold Outside!*

* Note: Inspiration for today’s post came well ahead of yesterday’s sixty degree warm up! 😉

Are you one of those people who, like me, enjoys changing some of your home accessories up seasonally? I don’t know about you, but I think decorating for winter is the hardest. Unless you have a stash of snowmen or a storage box of accumulated items specifically dedicated to winter (like some people do for the fall), there just aren’t a ton of winter-themed items you can go out and purchase that aren’t “Christmas-y.” So I approach the time after the holidays as sort of “whatever” … anything that makes me feel warm and cozy what with the frigid temps outside (or, in yesterday’s case, the warmth of sixty degrees!) and fills the empty void that is often left after the Christmas décor comes down.

I always start with my mantel. I have a great framed print that used to hang in one of the bedrooms at my Nana’s house; I put it up with my Christmas decorations and leave it up until spring (when I replace it with another print from her basement!). I try to pull out the wintry feeling of the print with snowflakes, branches, and pine cones. I’m also really into mercury glass and love the votives I picked up from West Elm … to me, they shout winter like nothing else!

From there, I begin adding winter touches throughout the rest of my house. Here are some simple, quick, and cheap ways to add a little winter to your home:

1)      Add cozy throws to beds, chairs, sofas, or ottomans throughout your home.

2)      Add blankets or pillows to baskets that may contain other items throughout the year.

3)      Mercury glass – of any shape or size – looks like winter in my eyes.

4)      Pull in winter phrases on chalkboards or in picture frames.

5)      Find branches outside and bring them inside!

6)      If you have shiny snowflakes left over from Christmas wrapping, you can use them on mantles, bookcases, or shelves throughout your home.

7)      Add some green by pulling in some indoor plants.

8)      Burn some great-smelling candles.

9)      Have family pictures from sledding or snowman-building escapades displayed throughout your home.

10)   Drink hot chocolate, eat popcorn, and enjoy some downtime that warmer weather may not allow.

Happy decorating!