It’s not going to be getting warmer any time soon and forecasts predict an unsettled few weeks ahead. So instead of wishing your life away while you wait for spring, why not embrace the natural passage of the seasons by turning your attention to some time-honoured methods of keeping cosy? It feels good to know you can survive a hard winter without relying on technology’s quick fixes.
Build a log fire. If you’re lucky enough to have a working fireplace, there’s nothing quite so warm and comforting as a roaring log fire. Building fires is a skill that’s been mostly lost in recent times, so you shouldn’t feel too inadequate if it takes you a while to get it right. There are some good tips here on how to get started, and if you don’t want to use paraffin-laden fire lighters, we strongly recommend Kindle Cones, natural fast-burning pinecones infused with cinnamon oil and spices, available from Green Rewards.
Keep draughts at bay by making your own draught excluders. These can be as decorative as you like, and will help your home retain warmth by sealing up gaps. There’s a great tutorial here on how to make a draught excluder shaped like a dog or a snake (but a simple, featureless sausage will do the job just as well!).
Get into baking. The smell of warming dough is guaranteed to make your home feel cosier and more lived in, and there’s no better time than winter to experiment with recipes. So next time you have a spare afternoon, dust off those old recipe books and see what delicious treats you can create.
Re-vamp your furniture. A house full of neglected or generic-looking furniture is rarely welcoming, so think about what you can do to give old pieces a new lease of life. Ideas I particularly love include using paper decoupage to decorate wood and buttons to create wall art. But there are plenty of other ways to re-purpose old furniture, and if you keep an eye on a creative DIY site like Crafty Nest, you’ll soon get a feel for what’s possible with very basic materials.
Learning to knit is another skill that will help you through the winter months, both as a great indoor activity for when you’re ’snowed in’ and as a useful means of creating warm and cosy wearables and soft furnishings. If you find it hard to learn from books or the internet, it’s worth finding out if there’s a yarn shop or community centre offering lessons: I Knit London and Prick your Finger both offer classes for beginners. For those who already know the basics, there’s a great tutorial here for making a snuggly hot water bottle cover.
Image: *Susie*
