Feeling uninspired in your winter homemaking?

I have a confession to make. I deeply crave feeling the passage of time through the changes in the season but I live in a hot climate. My winter is considered nice and pleasant but it’s erratic and true cool weather doesn’t last for more than a couple weeks maybe a month. All that to say that although now is the time for walks on the beach and spending as much time as possible outside here, I crave a slowness that this time of year lends to. Post holiday festivities has most people burnt out and naturally we want to slow down and reset. So here are a few ideas to slow down and embrace your winter homemaking.

Winter homemaking mindset

The first thing we need to reflect on is our mindset. It can be really difficult to challenge the ideas in our mind that may not be serving us. If you are determined to hate winter and spend the next few months wishing it away then it wont matter what you do. Winter will continue to not feel good. I personally have to check myself in the peak of summer. The height of summer is brutal and has most of us want to hunkered down in the A/C. So let’s try our best to be positive and embrace what is good about each season.

Below you’ll find some ideas for how you can use your time during the colder months with warm and gentle intention.

Winter homemaking inspiration

Create ambience

With longer nights it’s essential to set the mood. I like to incorporate elements of Hygge, the art of creating a warm and enjoyable atmosphere and experiences for you and your family. It’s really about quiet contentment and the ambience of your home is the heart of that.

Engaging your sense of smell is an instant way to create a cozy atmosphere, so lets start with a great winter simmer pot recipe. Using seasonal fruit and spices, this recipe is the go to winter simmer pot.

Winter Simmer Pot

• 4 cups of water
• 1 orange, sliced
• 2-3 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 apple, sliced
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• Fresh cranberries, one large handful
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• Pinch of whole cloves
• 2-4 star anise

To make:

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat in a dutch oven or medium sized pot.
2. Add all ingredients to the pot and reduce heat to low.
3. Let simmer for the day, several hours, refilling with water as needed. Enjoy!

Handicrafts

When embracing winter homemaking, we must embrace that we will spend a lot of time indoors. The beautiful thing about handicrafts is that most can be done anytime and often times we can include our children. As much as I would love to be a go to source to learning all the handicrafts, I’m on the same journey as you, still learning! Below I’m linking some wonderful resources and beginner friendly projects to get you started. These crafts are the perfect way to slow down during these winter months.

Sewing

• Fabric Coasters
• Morning Glory Tie back top
• Easy Sew Cotton Bag
• Scrunchies
• Muslin Swaddle Blanket
• Happy Birthday Banner (See my version on Instagram)

Embroidering

• Variety of Embroidery patterns from ‘MakenStitch’ to get you started

Knitting

• Buttermilk tea towel
• Thyme tea towel

Other craft ideas to try this season includes:

• Soap making
• Candle making
• Dried flower crafts

Baking

If you hosted a lot during the holidays or found yourself indulging a bit in the carb department then you may need a little break from baking but I say a little slice of toast never hurt anyone. So I want to share with you the easiest rustic yeast bread for those of us who haven’t taken the plunge into sourdough just yet. This recipe gives you a beautiful sourdough looking bread without the maintenance of sourdough starter.

Favorite bread recipe!

Home Organization

Since you’re likely spending far more time indoors. Winter is the best time to declutter, reorganize and deep clean areas that get neglected when spending time outdoors isn’t as desirable. Areas that may need some attention are:

• Declutter and store out of season clothes
• Declutter toys and outgrown children’s clothes
• Reorganize kitchen pantry
• Clean behind major appliances
• Wipe down inside and the faces of cabinets
• Clean vents and replace air filters
• Purge and organize your digital spaces (i.e. computer files, phone photos)
• Organize paperwork or office supplies
• Vacuum and deodorize linens, mattresses and couch cushions

Finding movement & nature

This one may not seem to fit in the category of winter homemaking but if you have children it’s essential to their wellbeing, and yours frankly, to not stay inside the entire season. A hallmark to how I want to raise children is to instill a love of the outdoors and that means embracing all seasons and weather as much as possible. Some beautiful ways to find physical movement and get outdoors are:

• Ice skating
• Snowboarding/ skiing
• Winter hiking
• Scavenger hunt
• Build a fort or snowman
• Snowball fight
• Hot cocoa picnic
• Build a fire
• Make bird feeders
• Make ice luminaries

Snow is not always a guarantee, (did I mention I live in a warm climate?), so adapt these to fit what you have around you.

Planning the garden

Come January, February you may be deep in the winter blues and nothing gets me more excited then planning. Planning for the new year is always met with excitement and optimism, at least from me, and imagining the green garden is a great way to look forward while still enjoying the now.

If you want a great way to organize your seeds I wrote all about the viral photo craft box container. I’ve been storing my seeds this way for years and I’m still obsessed.

Winter is a great time to start planning what you want to grow, purchasing seeds you may need and designing your growing space.

With that being said I hope you found some inspiration for your winter homemaking. Lean into the slow and intentional this season and as always let me know how it goes!