Ask KB Fridays A little yarn about cosies...

KB:

How Can I make my home cozy for the Winter without breaking the bank?

Darling,

Wild spending is as passe' as summer 07!

It's as gauche as saying "gauche."

I love the very affordable Pottery Barn throws in the first 2 photos, but rest assured, you have plenty of things right in your own home that you can re-purpose and spend hardly any dough at all!
Top 10 inexpensive ways to make your home cozy and warm for the winter season:
1. Candles
Nordstrom has candles and scents on sale right now! If your home smells like gingerbread or fig or spice-ahhhh isn't it nice? Candles in the fireplace, on the mantle- even tea lights on window sills are so very lovely this time of year. My dining room window sills are free of curtains so I don't worry about fire hazard-

Also, don't forget to round up random candlesticks and unite them using paint-metallic spray paint is really good. Alternatively, unite them by wrapping yarn around them . This will show off the contours without highlighting their age or any flaws.

I've seen knitted candlestick cosies that are really fun as well.

2. BOWL ME OVER WITH CONTENT!
Fill all your beautiful large bowls and vessels with pine cones or balls of yarn, twigs, white rocks, photographs or postcards with winter themes.

3. Fill lidded glass containers with yarn too, or vinegar colored water in hues of red, green or blue! I say vinegar because water evaporates so quickly.
Glass cylinders look great as frames. Put a similar size photo in a wide mouth jar and voila!

4. Vignettes! Seasonal vignettes are fun, easy, and set a tone for your home. A collection of old fashioned mittens atop a branch in a vase or set up on wooden dowels would look great on top of a table.

5. The books on your table should reflect the cool season as well. Hide the tropical local tomes, toss dated summer catalogues. Bring out antique books, black and white photography books, classic novels, and all white or red covered books.

6. Change your cushions!Mintbasil shows you how to make a sweater pillow- short of that wrap one around a summer pillow. Simply tuck in the sleeves and use an envelope wrap. Secure with a pin, knot or simple ribbon if you must.

If you must buy one-West Elm has some rather affordable finds.

7. Let your throws be woolly, faux furry, or heavy!

8. Leave a basket of warm slippers by the door.

9. These recycled sweater pillows can be found on Etsy. Consider raiding your local thrift store for cashmere and wool that may not be perfect but can be refreshed, renewed, and reused.




10. Curtains. If you don't usually change your curtains seasonally- from linen to velvet or light cotton to heavy silk- Use weightier tie backs- wide velvet ribbon works well for instance.

So...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!