While it might be time to close up the lakeside cottage for the season, that doesn’t mean it’s not going to be on your mind at the leaves fall and the snow finally hits the ground. And you know that there are going to be a million projects to take care of and maintenance to do once cottage season returns again. You likely won’t want to spend your time worrying about the décor of the place. So, why not spend some of your cold winter days indoors making some unique pieces that will keep your lake cottage looking its best?
Reclaimed Wood Wall Art
Driftwood makes great artwork.
When you’re making that last visit to the cottage this year, take a walk around and see what you can find in terms of driftwood and scraps left from renovation projects. There might even be some history in the pieces that you find – remnants of the cottages younger days. One of the easiest things that you can do is to sand and paint to wood with a few words or a simple picture. You can find lots of stencils at your local craft or home improvement store to help you with the design.
Get Nautical
Feeling ambitious? Make a nautical clock!
One of the most popular themes for cottage décor is to get inspired by the boats and docks that you see right outside your window. There are lots of different ways that you can add rope, boat cleats or a ship’s wheel to your cottage décor. Fashion some nautical rope into a mat for the front door or wrap it around a mirror for the bathroom. Use boat cleats as coat hangers or as an interesting way to hang towels in the bathroom. There are lots of tutorials available on Youtube and Pinterest to help you fashion everything from a fruit bowl made of rope to a plant holder made of an old boat propeller.
Find New Ways to Display Cottage Memories
Get creative with your photos
It is likely that you have thousands of pictures in albums or saved on your hard drive of good times had at the cottage over the years. There are lots of ways that you can use these to decorate your cottage other than just throwing them in a frame. Print off your favorite pics onto plain white paper, get a little Mod Podge and you can make personalized magnet, coasters or even flower vases. Again, Pinterest can show you exactly how to do it.
Add a Dockside Drink Station
No drink station is complete without coasters
Ready to take on a bit of a bigger project? Find an old bedside table or vanity and turn it into a place to store everything that you need to have some drinks right by the water. If you’re using an old vanity, you can add an old pail or bucket to the top to fill with ice to keep those beers cold. Fashion a spot underneath to hold solo cups, mixers. Attach a bottle opener to the side and you have the perfect addition to your waterfront.
Make Some Games
Paint pebbles for tic-tac-toe
While there are a million things to do on a beautiful day at the cottage, adding a few games to your collection for rainy days or when the kids come in saying they are bored is never a bad idea. An easy option is to make a tic-tac-toe game by painting some rocks with Xs and Os. If you have a sandy beach, you can draw a board in the sand, step back and toss the rocks to play the game. Or, you can build a board out of a piece of particle board. Want a project that is more advanced? Create a huge Jenga game using 4×4 planks of wood. All you need to do is cut 60 pieces to 12 inches each.
When you’re missing the cottage this winter, do something that will make next year even better! This will help you get through those snowstorms and ready to spend your summer relaxing on the water.
By Jessica De Bruyn at LakeLifeShops.com
Posted by Scott Freerksen “The Lake Guy”