creating a cosy green bedroom for winter

Brrr....winter has definitely arrived in Canada! We had our first real snow this week; I love how pretty it makes everything, but it sure does make me want to stay inside and curl up. So, what better time to redecorate my bedroom to make it cosy, and of course, green, for winter?

I was inspired by Urban Jungle Bloggers and their challenge to make your bedroom green with plants this winter. Not only do plants in the bedroom keep the air fresh, they also make it feel bright and warm (at least to me).

I'm really lucky to have big south-west facing windows that let lots of natural light into my bedroom. So I've filled it with plants. And pretty vintage vessels. And DIY art. And reclaimed wood. I spent no new money on this bedroom refresh - other than purchasing two new plants at half price! The big spider plant was a steal - and it's one of the best for air quality.

New plants needed new containers - so I took a soup cans and wrapped yarn and jute around them. No cost there.

Books are kept close at hand and neat in a vintage bike rack, and a nature-inspired pottery plate holds bedside stuff.

The nightstand was thrifted and refreshed with paint and wallpaper scraps - tutorial here.  And the bed frame was reupholstered myself - instructions here.

I made DIY lightbulb terrariums to hang by rope - instructions here.

One of my favourite things of all time is the glass cabinet my brother made for me out of old antique windows from a building that was torn down. I keep bracelets and watches in it - isn't it spectacular?

More vintage vessels hold the rest of my jewellery.

I simply changed out the knobs on an IKEA dresser for a more glamorous look. Necklaces are hung on the wall as ready-made art and organized storage. Faux sheep rugs add texture and keep things looking cosy for winter.

So...are you inspired to refresh your bedroom with plants and all things cosy? No need to spend- just look around your home for things you already have. Good luck!

DIY plant shelf

You know by now that I love plants, both outdoors and in. They have the ability to instantly pick up my mood and make me feel like I'm surrounded by nature. Plus of course they are great for indoor air quality. This weekend I rearranged my condo (yes, again) to optimize the sunlight and space for my indoor plants. I'm very lucky to have a bright white condo facing southwest, so I wanted to take advantage by creating a plant shelf in addition to the antique bench I have in front of the patio doors.

As with most of my DIY's, I wanted to accomplish it with reclaimed materials and without spending much money. Enter an old weathered plank and vintage shelf brackets. My parents visited in September and brought with them some old boards that were outside on their country property. Planks left outside for years = perfectly weathered rustsic shelves. I picked up some rusted shelf brackets on the cheap last weekend at the Aberfoyle Antique Market, aka heaven.

Have you checked out Urban Jungle Bloggers yet? It's a fabulous blog that celebrates bringing greenery indoors. My kind of site. Head over and see all the great inspiration that will make you head to your local nursery ASAP. Their plant shelfie month inspired my rustic plant shelf - it was a fun project!

succulents: a home's best friend

Have you jumped on the succulent train yet? Succulents are suddenly everywhere at home and work, and I get a tiny thrill everytime I see one. They are just so green and lush and cute aren't they?

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They are so easy to keep, even for black-thumb types, and are a natural and budget way to decorate. Not to mention the clean air benefits they (and any plant) provide to a home. 

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Here's a great resource on the various kinds of succulents. One of my favourite indoor plants -  the air plant, or tillandsia - is actually not included because it's technically not a succulent. No matter - tillandsia or succulents or a combo of both provide an inexpensive and easy care solution to natural home decor.

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simple DIY herb planters

This year I've been using fresh grown organic herbs to up the game in my kitchen. I'm definitely not a cook, but lately I've been trying to take the time to cook up healthy meals for the week, and herbs just make everything taste better. They also smell great hanging around on the patio or the kitchen counter. I currently have a big pot of basil and rosemary, and small pots of parsley, oregano and mint.

To make a pretty display on my tiny condo patio, I covered 3 IKEA planters with natural materials - rope, birch bark and burlap. All were simply cut to size and secured with a hot glue gun. Very natural and zen, don't you think? 

My tiny condo patio is now covered with plants, with just enough room to relax and read a book while feeling like I'm in the middle of nature, not a bustling suburb.

Have fun growing herbs and plants, and covering your planters with all kinds of natural material for a fun look. Let me know what you've had success with! 

DIY lightbulb terrarium

The terrarium trend is big right now, and I love that homeowners are embracing bringing plants indoors - it improves air quality and reminds us of the beauty of the natural world. Here's a way to display succulents without consuming pricey new glass vessels:  repurpose your lightbulbs. Clear lightbulbs (preferably used ones that you are replacing) can be upcycled into beautiful hanging terrariums.

Use tinsnips to cut into the top of the aluminum end of the lightbulb. Wear glasses and gloves to protect yourself from tiny bits of glass that will break when taking out the inside of the bulb. I also suggest doing all of this inside a cardboard box so that it catches all of the small shards of glass and wire. Once the top of the bulb is cut off, use needlenose pliers to pinch the glass and wire. It will break and then you can dump it out into the box.

Next, wrap jute rope around the top and secure with hot glue. Leave one end long for hanging at the right height.

Finally, add sand, tiny pebbles and moss for air plants, and some soil for a mini-cactus or other succulent variety. Soak the plants in water for a while before inserting them into the bulbs using tweezers. Add a few drops or sprays of water now and then, and they will thrive.

I hung my three in a bunch over my upcycled nightstand in the bedroom using hooks. A bracket would also work well; I just used what I had on hand in my tool box.

Pretty easy right? A great way to re-use materials we would normally throw away instead of buying something new.

ready for serious backyard growing?

A greenhouse could be what you need. What better way to grow your own food year round? An investment up front, for sure, but it has big payoffs on grocery bills, healthy living and the environment. And they can be just so darn pretty! 

Take a look at these top 25 on Skonahem for inspiration. 

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green your home this Spring

Nothing refreshes a space more than adding living plants and greenery. Even in a small home, there's always room. But don't take my word for it, here's proof. 

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growing veggies on the patio

My visit to Canada Blooms on the weekend inspired me to expand my patio garden plans. There's nothing more satisfying than growing your own food. Except maybe eating it. Fresh organic produce can't be beat.

So far I've started basil and lettuce in my sunny patio window - they're good early growers and good for window growing. Lettuce, peppers and patio cucumbers, and of course, tomatoes, are next. Tomatoes love the hot sun, so my south facing patio will be perfect. Wonder if I'll still be able to fit a chair out there for reading...

PS - this post has cheap DIY plant pot ideas using natural materials. 

Here are some resources if you too are inspired to create your own container garden:

Urban Harvest - a local Ontario company selling organic and untreated seeds. 

Veseys Seeds - a long-time fave from PEI. 

Organic Gardening has wonderful organic growing info. 

Canadian Gardening - lots of inspiration and ideas.
Mark Cullen, the Canadian garden guru.

green idea: grow something!

I think I have Spring Fever, because I've started growing seeds already. 

I planted some basil and lettuce to grow on the plant shelf in front of my sunny patio door within the condo. 

I used untreated seeds, and hope they will grow well so I can have fresh produce this year. If things go as planned, I'm going to try tomatoes too, since I have room on my patio to transplant them and move them outdoors if the weather even warms up. I eat tomatoes like nobody's business so growing these plants will not only be a natural way to decorate my home, it will also save money. And you can't get much more local that getting your produce from your own patio. Is anyone else trying to grow plants from seed?