If you’re like me and don’t want to put up Christmas decor in November, read on to see how I plan to decorate my little cottage between Halloween and Christmas. My plan is to do a “slow walk” by adding winter decor first. Simply put, I’ll start out with greenery and other things that speak of winter but not obvious Christmas. On December 1st, or thereabout, I’ll decorate for Christmas in earnest because I want time to enjoy it before the craziness of this wonderful season kicks in.
This is my first winter at The Old Tree Cottage
I’m looking forward to a lot of firsts: first Halloween (just happened)- see photo below. First winter, first Christmas. In case you’re wondering, I don’t live in the cottage. It’s a 12 x 16 glorified she-shed. But to me, it’s much more than that! However, if you were to ask my five-year-old granddaughter, she’d tell you it’s a “playhouse for adults.”
I like to keep the decor simple
Just to be clear, I’m not a designer. I make vintage-inspired decor, and I am having fun styling my newly finished cottage. Now that I have that out of the way, where was I? Oh yes! If I’m not making decor pieces, I love to upcycle things I’ve found. Sometimes, my finds are used as intended, and sometimes, I give them a new purpose, like the watering can in the pictures below. It was just the look I was after when I was dreaming of greenery inside the cottage! My style definitely leans more toward simplicity when decorating.
Two more upcycled pieces finish off the mantle
I took some old plastic Christmas balls and tried my hand at a dirty pour to give them a custom-marbled effect. It was super easy to do. If you want to try it, I found this tutorial on YouTube. I love the pop of colour they bring among all the white and the greenery. The last thing I did was convert an old kerosene lamp into a candle holder. I wasn’t sure the candle would stay, but securing it with some melted wax worked!
A November table
Last year, I made a cute Christmas-themed tote and shared a tutorial on how to make one yourself. Since I’m decorating for November, I made that same tote but instead gave it a simple, worn look. I found what looked like mini vases at the thrift store – at least, that’s what I’m using them for. They fit perfectly in the tote along with some fir branches.
Decorating the porch
The frost had finished off the planters on the porch of the cottage, and I had yet to put them away. I wondered if I was lazy or waiting for inspiration. I’m going with the latter because in an instant I knew how I was going to use them! The only problem was the potting soil was frozen. That didn’t slow me down because I just got out a big drill and drilled into the dirt! Now, I was able to insert my “tree” (the top of a young fir tree) into the planter. This would work with a faux tree, too. There are no lights or decor on it. I just wanted it to look like a potted plant. When I put up my outdoor lights, I’ll also add some to the little tree.
So there you have it, how I plan to decorate for November.
As the month goes on, I’ll keep adding bits of decor here and there until December comes, and I go full-on Christmas! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you found some inspiration from this post!
Update: It only took me a week, and I was adding more greenery since writing this!
Honestly, I thought I’d wait longer than a week before adding more greenery decor. But once I get in the groove, I’m done when my creative brain says so, I guess! I was inspired to give some burlap trees a refresh. I absolutely love how they turned out! All it took was an old spindle, a round tin and paint.
It’s not a Christmas tree if there are no decorations on it, right?
About that no tree yet thing… I had this great idea to cut the top off of a fir tree on my property. I just wouldn’t decorate it yet. And I am in love with the naked tree look- for now! It’s a great segway leading up to a tree all adorned for Christmas. And I have some vintage ideas for that!
Alrighty then, I think I’m really done with my decorating for November.
I always knew I would add to my plan for decorating in November, so it’s no surprise that I did! I’ll be setting up a romantic table setting on the weekend. My husband and I will have dinner at the cottage to celebrate our 35th anniversary, so there might just be some white lights on the tree…
Beautiful!!
Thank you!