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Front Porch Appeal: Cozy Winter Inspiration for Your Front Porch
January 02, 2025


Welcome to Front Porch Appeal!

Welcome to January 2025, a brand-new month filled with fresh starts, inspiring goals, and dreams of happy porches for the year ahead. We hope 2024 wrapped up on a high note for you and your loved ones. For us, having our family gathered for Christmas week was a true blessing, and now we’re embracing the quieter pace that January so often brings.

January is a wonderful time to celebrate simple joys such such as the laughter shared around the table, the coziness of winter evenings, and the warm comforts of our homes.

We’re incredibly grateful for you, and let's cheer each other on as we step into this New Year of 2025. May it be a year of growth, joy, and plenty of time spent enjoying your porch.


Inspiration for Your Winter Porch



It doesn’t take much to cozy up a porch for the winter. If you live in areas with relentless wind, snow, or ice, decorating can be a bit more challenging this time of year.

We experience our share of blustery days and the occasional dusting of snow or icy conditions, but we’ve found simple ways to keep things snug and secure.

For example, we tie or pin our pillows to the chair cushions. Our wall art is not only hung from the top, but we usually have a horizontal wire that goes near the bottom of the art to keep it from swaying in the wind. You can see it in the close-up photo below.




From another angle, our winter porch feels like an extension of the indoors, a cozy little retreat where we can still enjoy the crisp air and the beauty of the season.

Even in the winter you can have a welcoming vibe on your porch.




Dave made this snowflake wall art for our winter porch!

Truly it looks awesome on our porch and we can keep it up through March. A simple combination of wood slats (from scraps in his shop) and wood shims that he cut, stained and glued to the wood slats.

If you look closely near the bottom of the wall art, you can see the horizontal wire that stretches across it, keeping it swaying in the wind.

Do you have other ways you use to keep your porch amenities from blowing away? Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!




Here you can see Dave as he started making the snowflake wall art on the kitchen island. In our house, we almost always have a project in works.




Dave used wood shims and stained them to make the crystals. He cut the shims at 45 degree angle and glued them to the wood slats he cut for the base of the snowflake. While it did take some time, it wasn't hard to do and turned out beautifully!

We hope you like the close-up view. Perhaps it will inspire a DIY project on your porch!




Back in 2020, we created this handsome mountain wall art from simple wood slats that Dave carefully cut, then painted and stained with a mix of rich, earthy tones.

The finished piece was a nice addition to our winter porch, adding a rustic charm that felt cozy and timeless. Handmade touches can make a porch unique, even in the chill of winter.

We absolutely love learning about your handmade touches, too.




Here’s a close-up of our mountain wall art, where you can see the intricate details of the nighttime sky we painted, complete with a glowing moon and shimmering stars.

Do you like to add wall art to your porch, too? I think we always have some wall art displayed on our porch, all year round.




Speaking of wall art, one winter, we decided to add a splash of sunshine to our porch by painting a charming yellow house wall art. The cheerful pop of color instantly brightened the space, bringing warmth and life to the chilly season.

A simple reminder that small pops of color can really give your porch a happy boost.



Cozying Up the Back Porch



Do you love the cozy warmth of a fire pit, blankets and pillows on the back porch? Makes for a happy place to wrap your hands around a steaming cup of coffee or hot cocoa and savor the crisp winter air.

Even during the colder months, our porches offer a kind of retreat, unless snow and ice decide to make an appearance. Then it's time to enjoy the coziness inside.

But when the weather cooperates, there’s something magical about enjoying the beauty of winter from the comfort of a well-loved porch.




Since we re-modeled our back porch, it has become a happy haven, even in the heart of winter. We hope you get to enjoy your porch during the winter, too.

With the warmth of our fire pit, cozy seating with soft pillows and warm blankets, and a charming little table for our mugs of cocoa or coffee, our back porch is a nice spot the two of us enjoy.

Do you have an outdoor space that you can enjoy in the winter months that keeps you feeling snug and content, no matter the chill in the air? We hope this for you if your climate allows it.



Just last week, we were treated to an unexpected reprieve with temperatures in the 60s—perfect for cracking open the windows and letting in a gentle breeze. But now? Winter has made its presence known with a biting chill in the air and a sharp wind that cuts right through.

For many of you, especially those in lake effect snow regions, the weather has likely turned even more dramatic. It’s the kind of shift that reminds us to appreciate the cozy comforts of home and winter’s unpredictable charm.




While January is bringing us some very chilly temperatures to start the year, we’re holding out hope for those occasional, surprisingly mild days that feel like little gifts from winter.

On mild days, we soak up a bit of sunshine, and enjoy a quiet lunch on the porch. Do you, too, have ways to soak up any warmth or sunshine that comes your way during the colder months? It may mean snuggling up with a cozy book near the fireplace or watching a good movie while the snow falls outside.



Our 2025 Calendar Is Ready for You



We are excited to share our 2025 Artful Wildflower Calendar with you! Perfect for nature enthusiasts and flower admirers, our calendar is a heartfelt creation featuring twelve of my hand-painted wildflowers, one for each month.




Each page highlights a unique wildflower along with several fascinating botanical facts to deepen your appreciation for each flower. Look closely, and you’ll also spot delightful details like butterflies, bees, ladybugs, moths, and birds adding life to the flowers.

Take advantage of our current special to receive 10% off now through January 15th in my shop.




Our wall calendar is 11" wide by 16.5" tall. It's not just attractive; it’s practical too. With spaces to write special dates and appointments, it’s perfect for keeping track of your appointments and dates with loved ones.

Start the New Year surrounded by the beauty of wildflowers! I hope this calendar finds a place in your home or becomes a thoughtful gift for someone special.

Remember, till January 15th, you'll receive a 10% discount.





We Appreciate Our Sponsors Greatly

We greatly appreciate your support of our treasured sponsors. Each of them is like family to us and we are very proud of their products. They have been with us for a long time!

Beautiful handrails from Vintage Woodworks


Aren't these handrails from Vintage Woodworks so attractive? With a solid hardwood core, these handrails are not only resistant to bending, but also easily maintained due to the PVC outer coating.

We are very proud of our long time sponsor, Vintage Woodworks, a leader in handcrafted house trim since 1978. They can assist you in choosing just the right design options for your porch and home.




Photo courtesy of The Porch Store, Nashville TN

Can you imagine taking a nap on this wonderful swing bed from The Porch Store? And our favorite part is that the swing is adjustable. You can position the back one way for sitting and another way for napping. The best of both worlds, we believe.

We welcome you to take a look at all of The Porch Store products on their website.

They have long been sponsors to us and we could not be more proud.




Photo courtesy of PCA Products

Look at these beautiful French screen doors - and no center post. Aren't they so lovely on this welcoming porch?

We've been proud to share PCA Products with you for many years and this is one of our favorite products.




Till Next Time...

Be cozy this month!



We know you're busy and we appreciate you being a part of our porch family here.

May you enjoy the month of January with all the new beginnings, peacefulness and quiet. And till spring, let us dream of spending time on our porches.

See you on the porch.

Our best always,

Mary and Dave

Mary and Dave



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