Simple Home Projects to Fight the Winter Blues

Simple Home Projects to Fight the Winter Blues. How can you fight back without expending too much effort [or cash]? We have some fun ideas to help you make it through until spring arrives.

Bling your appliances. This is a simple, pretty inexpensive, and not really well-known decorating trick — yet! We have a feeling that appliance art is going to be the next big thing, so you can say you were there at the beginning. Dress up your boring old washer and dryer with some bright colors and patterns. Your Kitchen Aid mixer will look great with some fun sayings or pretty flowers adorning it. You can turn your appliances into part of your décor. Even the toaster, oven, and refrigerator can get a new look, brightening those parts of the home that are often considered merely functional. Check online craft retail store Etsy for even more ideas.

More light can lighten your mood. Part of the reason we get the blues in the winter is that we get less sunlight because of the shorter days. Brighten up your living areas with new lamps placed in corners that your overhead lights don’t reach. Consider switching out your current light bulbs with a higher wattage. Replace a lampshade or two for a quick change. Break out your mismatched candlesticks and cluster them in the middle of the dining table or on a sideboard or mantle for a warm glow. If you need a little more of a unifying look, paint them one color, such as an accent color or a metallic neutral, and they’ll seem to be a set.

Get crafty. Can you sew? How about new curtains and other window treatments? Even easier, recover a few throw pillows for a bright new look. Super crafty people can knit or crochet cheerfully colored throw blankets to complement the new colors. If you’re not already a knitter or a stitcher, those long winter evenings can be a great time to pick up a new hobby that will keep you occupied and also contribute to your décor!

Sorting and organizing. Some people just want to hibernate when winter rolls in; but for others, the change in weather can bring on a burst of energy. Turn that into productivity and consider giving your storage areas a good sort out. Organize the pantry with baskets and containers; take a scrubbing brush to the fridge and freezer; junk the items in the junk drawer that haven’t been used in the past year. It’s a scientific fact that decluttering and getting organized can definitely boost your mood.

Make the spare room special. A little rearranging can make the whole house seem fresh. If you are moving furniture around in the living room, take whatever now seems “extra” and use it to set up your spare room as a home office or craft/sewing room. Turn a wide landing into a book nook with a small stuffed chair, a lamp, and a small bookshelf, or add a little end table with binoculars for bird watching or a telescope for studying the night sky.