Warm Winter Decor

 today i am simply sharing these images of one my past homes
[known as 'the Cottage']

showing some easy ways to warm up your winter rooms using color and texture

the decor in these images show how the room was decorated

immediately following the holiday decor scheme seen in this post

 you'll see some of those holiday elements re-used in a new way

 to lighten up the rooms and make them warm and inviting, 

while remaining spacious and uncluttered.

it's a great way to start off the year!

simple elements and color add comfort and warmth

that wrap around you like a cashmere sweater

the mantel's arrangement of branches brings nature into the composition

and a collection of quirky letter K's adds interest without clutter
i collect letters from everywhere, and i also make them myself:

*a K cookie cutter, painted black
*a clear glass cylinder vase with a cursive k painted on with a paint pen
*a carpenter's ruler forms a K
*a cursive k cut from a piece of vintage sheet music
*a chipboard K covered with white glitter

a quick-change of the lampshades on the chandelier and the addition of clear crystals to bounce light

branches, pine cones, and bird nests bring the feeling of the winter woods indoors

if you aren't into neutrals

[and that's perfectly fine!]

it would be easy to replace the dark brown and tan colors in this room 

with bright or pastel hues - and you'd have a completely different look!

Warm Winter Whites

 making use of what we've got on hand or can get for a bargain makes decorating fun!

gathering together some items in tones of white 

was the starting point for some fresh winter decor over my desk...
i started with what i have on hand - everyday stuff and craft supplies -
then i picked up four new items, and spent about half an hour arranging them all.

what i already had on hand

vintage sheet music, postcard, and white-bound book

scrolly white picture frame seen in this post

vintage ivory carnations and new silk tulips

the sweater-wrapped bar glass with candle from this post

vintage white rosary

white ironstone & ceramic creamers, white ceramic coffee cup,
and white milk glass slipper

tiny ivory doily and the resin crystal in the small creamer

two white shelves on the wall

what i added

three felt snowflakes

[these are christmas ornaments, found on sale at target for 50 cents each!]

one white scalloped dessert plate with a snowflake pattern on it
[found on sale at HOMEgoods for $2.99]

what i spent: $4.50
[and THAT is why it pays to hit the after-Christmas sales!
you can find all kinds of things to use for winter decor] 

the shelves hang over my desk, and are a great place to play with small seasonal changes.

you don't always have to do big things to make a big impact!

in a small room like my office, this is enough.

by mixing up various shades of white and cream, and several textures, 

it becomes a three-dimensional collage to play with...

a close up of the small plate from HOMEgoods reveals 

the 'damask'-like tone-on-tone snowflake pattern

vintage sheet music and books make a warm backdrop for the white felt snowflakes

and this charming glass slipper

this photo looks dark, but i actually wanted it lit this way...

 it highlights the engraved print on the sweater-wrapped bar glass.

i paid 45 cents for that glass at a Goodwill store over ten years ago!

what do you have on hand already that you could gather up
and use to create a fresh new grouping?
clear crystal? white ironstone? or perhaps some vibrant colored glass?
take a look in your cupboards and see what is waiting there!

another thing i did with the 50 cent snowflake ornaments was add them to a wreath!

this cozy wreath was made by simply wrapping a long scarf around a straw form,

and then embellishing it with the dangling crystal and the snowflake for winter

(i made the scarf by sewing scraps of various sweaters together into a patchwork)

 

you can find the easy step-by-step instructions on my tutorial page.

[no, it's not my original idea! but it's a GOOD idea, 

and i love to share those, too!]

shared online:

common ground |  be inspired friday 

Front Porch Holiday Decor: Raid the Garden Shed AGAIN!

when you drag out the holiday decorations, what area do you decorate FIRST?

i'm a front door / front porch kinda' person. 

i figure if you begin by creating a warm seasonal welcome at the door,

everything else you do looks that much better!

OK, i'll fess up...

i also think that if your front door / porch is decorated the day after Thanksgiving, 

you blow your neighbors away. 

you win the neighborhood 'who gets their lights and wreath up first' contest.

even if the inside of your house looks like a tornado hit, you look like superwoman!

so, let's start at the front door!

in THIS POST back in August,

i shared photos of my fall front porch: 

well, the decor you see in the photos in today's post is based on the SAME elements used back then:
stuff from the garden shed!

 the galvanized buckets, watering can, and plant stand all stayed in place for the Holidays.

after removing the fall grasses, leaves and pumpkins,

i flipped over the bottom bucket, and then filled all of them up with greens

that i cut from our trees.

the details include a little miniature tree [fake],

pinecones, a birdnest, a banner & burlap stocking that i made

 and

one very cool vintage light globe nestled into the top bucket of greens

is lit from within [night light bulb] to add a soft glow at night.

it looked like a glowing white snowball

and regarding those greens....

you're going to want to pay close attention here, 

because this is my NUMBER ONE 'TOP TIP' for Holiday decorating on the cheap!

HOW TO GET FREE GREENERY:

stalk the landscapers in your neighborhood. 

know when they come - not just to do YOUR yardwork,  but the neighbors. and the common areas.

take them a plate of cookies

[why, yes, i AM suggesting that you SCHMOOZE them!]

and then ask them for some cuttings...

evergreens, pine, fir, cedar, boxwood, magnolias, bay laurel, cypress -

no matter where you live, there are always bushes, trees, and hedges being trimmed.

FREE MATERIALS!

just ask them for the greens before they load it all into their chippers or trucks.

 you will be saving them money when they go to the landfill, so they usually always hand over the goods.

if you live in a rural area, always make sure you have permission to be on the property to cut boughs.

and don't steal them from your neighbor's yard at midnight ;0)

i have been known to pillage greenery from abandoned warehouse complex parking lots

but i am not recommending that YOU do that!

ok, back to the porch...

there was also a very long wood bench (made from an old headboard)

that i cozied up with a huge burlap pillow and a bagful of 'gifts' - 

really just simple boxes tied with burlap & ribbon.

between the bench and the door, there's one of my old folding wire shopping carts,

filled with greenery.

an old snowsled leans against the wall behind the cart, 

and an old brown umbrella is a fitting final touch for the Washington winter weather. 

i didn't buy anything to decorate with -

i just combined things i already had to create a mood.

the white, brown, green, and gray color palette

made for a serene setting that coordinated with the beach house,

and it welcomed neighbors, friends, and family well into January, too...