Need Winter Decoration/Craft Ideas

[Attached Mama]

I put all the Christmas stuff away a wk ago and the house looks sooo bare!! We just moved in the day before Thanksgiving and I'm not sure what to do with all the little built in wood shelves above windows, and the fire place mantle. Some mantle arrangements are out because it is actually a corner mantle behind the woodstove. It's really cool tho! Built out of stone on the wall and then a rough hand hewn log for the mantle. Looked awesome with evergreen boughs and Christmas lights and our collection of homemade Christmas stockings. But now it is so sad and bare looking and I am usually full of good ideas but can't think of a single one.

So what sort of little things - tchotkes (sp) - can I put up on the window top shelves and the mantle and other shelves - home crafted earthy things. I don't want to fill it with clutter and prefer like one little thing on top of a window shelf rather than it being filled up. Any mantle ideas?

We always use the many Magic Cabin catalogs we are sent to cut out snowflakes to hang on the windows in Jan and then sometimes we make heart shaped snowflakes for Valentines. Plus we plant some amaryllis and paper whites to brighten the winter. But I'm needing more ideas.

TIA

[blumom2boyz]

What about some nature people??? You could take your kids on a hike and gather some pinecones and such and then make them into little people. Glue acorn/nut heads and add wool beards or felt capes, etc. You could also decorate some beeswax candles and put them on a platter surrounded by some things you gather on walks/hikes or from your yard (holly leaves, pine boughs, etc.). I LOVE the book Earthways for ideas for crafts related to the seasons. They have some more ideas in there (like a snow scene using ivory soap flakes...it looks really cool).

[MamaBirdEmma]

I think that this would look really great on a mantle:

http://www.saladotex.com/images/AAA_...aMANTEL400.jpg

Michael's and Target have very nice candle holders and you can get some beeswax pillar candles to use.

[Attached Mama]

Great ideas... I've been thinking today that candles interspersed with pine boughs and some other found objects from nature. I like the pinecone people idea. Not sure if we can find any pinecones right now tho. We have a few feet of snow!

I can't do a pretty candelabra like that one because the mantel is in the corner of the room on 2 walls behind the woodstove - sort of different. So the candelabra would only end up on one wall. Plus the nearest Target or Michaels are over an hr away. We REALLY live in the boonies However, I do have some single candle holders and can get beeswax candles locally.

I was also thinking of having dh cut out some wood hearts of various sizes to sand and beeswax and place amongst the pine boughs and candles - sort of winter and valentines all at once I guess.

I do love the pinecone people idea! I have tons of saved acorn caps. I am not sure how many pinecones we have tho. I think we tossed them in the fall because we were moving and they are normally easily replaceable - just not in the dead of winter.