Creative DIY Ideas for a Winter-Inspired Home

This is creative winterizing, not caulking windows or weather-stripping doors! With a new season coming, it is always refreshing to do some DIY decorating in your home, and if you have children, they will love the small changes that usher in a new season.

Start by taking a close look at your living room, study, and family room. Can you move around small pieces of furniture? Switch some pieces of art from room to room? The Inspired Room says yes, suggesting you trade accessories like lamps and pillows with those from another room. Even small tweaks can change the mood of a room.

If you have a fireplace, autumn is a great time to decorate the mantel. Add some juniper branches, scented candles, pine cones, and small pumpkins. As the snow starts to fall, you may be inspired to replace the autumn colors with peaceful white and silvery tones.  

Country Living suggests setting up a cocoa bar for very cold nights and placing a bowl of chestnuts on your coffee table. Another nice touch from Country Living is to place birch logs in a planter and accent them with juniper sprigs and fairy lights.

Yes, it is time for that bi-annual clothing rotation. Time to swap out sandals for boots and sun hats for toques. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, look at this as an opportunity to declutter and reorganize. So put on a headset, choose your favorite playlist, and make the work fun.

When you pull out our summer clothes, organize them in piles. Metro Storage suggests you look at the clothes you did not wear over the summer and ask yourself why. Are they too small or big?  Out of style? Will you wear them next summer? The clothes you will not wear can be separated to sell on consignment or be donated to the thrift shop.

Next, look at the summer clothes you are going to store away. Go through them and pick out the pieces that have stains, need seams sewn or buttons replaced. Set these aside and get them laundered and fixed. Then fold them up and place them in a cupboard. 

The same idea applies to the winter clothes that come out next. Check each article of clothing and see if you still feel an attachment. The pieces you are keeping can then be nicely folded, hung, and organized, ready for the cozy season ahead.  

The thin cotton summer sheets can be stored away. Out comes the winter bedding with flannel blankets and throws. The Zoe Report recommends using darker colored and upholstered decorative pillows, heavy quilts, and cashmere throws in the bedrooms. You may even want to add thicker curtains if you have sheers on the windows.

Upcycled Sweater Acorn Pillow – Free Sewing Pattern https://t.co/f3wojRvUIn pic.twitter.com/1w3j0CCOjo

— Kavalon (@KavalonThatsMe) September 7, 2020

Have fun with this fresh change of seasons. Upcycle old sweaters and turn them into pillows for your room and your kids’ rooms, as suggested in Country Living. Or, take your kids’ mittens and create a mitten garland to hang in their bedroom.

Just as your summer clothes will switch over, so will your appetite. Summer days are filled with light, crispy, and cool meals. Winter is time for hot comfort food like stews, soups, and casseroles. But first, ensure you freeze all of your summer favorites like berries, fruits, and even basil. These will come in handy when it is harder to find them in the market.

Happiness Matters suggests you go through your pantry and spice cupboards to ensure you have the ingredients you need for those hearty winter recipes.  Stock up on extra flour as you may feel like baking more often.

Grains also play a large role in winter dining. Buy barley, rice, and couscous. For hearty breakfasts, there is nothing like having oats on hand. Make sure you have different kinds of pasta, and Happiness Matters suggests you stock up on condiments for winter sauces such as mayonnaise, ketchup, and oils.