I have mentioned that home decor is not really one of my strengths. My decorating style is “We Can’t Have Nice Things Because… Kids” but I am also learning that things actually stay cleaner when I decorate a spot! We don’t drop clutter there and the kids don’t set up their toys and play there. So I am more intentional about decorating to prevent messes.

I still don’t like to blog about my home decor. The thing is, my home is kind of ugly. It is an old farmhouse with parts of it being over 100 years old. That sounds charming, but it isn’t. It means nothing is straight- walls are crooked and floors aren’t level. Everything has been covered up in multiple layers of now hideous home decor trends. My husband doesn’t want to do any cosmetic work to the house. He wants to demo down to the framing and do it right! With destructive children that doesn’t seem worth it yet. In the meantime, we have a sampling of several decades of ugly. It is an authentic farmhouse, not the trendy fake kind.

Still, I like to promote authenticity. My home isn’t Pinterest-perfect, but it is the best I can do with what I have. This post is all about keeping it real.

On my youngest’s first day of school my mom took me on my first trip to Hobby Lobby. That place is so amazing that you can’t cry there! I picked up this galvanized trough because I knew it would fit perfectly on my windowsill. (Closest thing I can find on their website is THIS.)

Previously, I had my milk bottle collection there, but one of the kids pushed one into the window and chipped it. (See? Destructive children!) Later, I knocked on the window to get a muddy barn cat away from the window I had just cleaned and it cracked all the way to the top. Now we have to seal plastic over our cracked window for the winter. So, this is my windowsill decor in front of my cracked, plastic covered window. Anyone into the rustic, farmhouse look? This is realistic.

Rustic winter decor with twine balls and pine cones

I trimmed fresh greens from the back of our Christmas tree. The pine cones and twine balls were made two years ago. I had some red berry picks in it for Christmas and replaced it with white ones after Christmas.

Ironically, my 10yo knocked this off of the windowsill and dumped it all over the floor as I was writing this post. Remember how I said I can’t have nice things?

I also redid our chalkboards in the dining room. One is on the wall beside the table. I like to get the kids to memorize the verses I put up. This one was inspired by Hand Lettered Truth.

This is the chalkboard above my desk. I spend so much time on the other one that I kept this one simple.

I have been using a lot of galvanized metal and battery operated candles in my home decor. They are set on a timer so I don’t have to remember anything. We use rechargable batteries (stored in little galvanized buckets) so when they start to get dim I recharge them.

I have been decorating the bay window in the living room so that Barbie dolls or Littlest Pet shops don’t move in there. The snow scene mason jars are from a few years ago and I got this lantern at Walmart last fall. It is too cold to go outside on a ladder to clean my windows, so you are getting more authenticity.

My succulents are a little wonky…

These $3 galvanized houses from the Target Dollar Spot were my big Christmas decor purchases this year. I think the white bottle brush tree (crooked from kids touching it) makes them pass for winter decor. Plus, the battery tea lights continue my fake candle obsession.

galvanized houses from Target dollar spot

Last, I am showing you my front porch. I never do that- mostly because I hate yellow siding. Ironically, I have lived in houses with yellow siding almost my entire life.

My husband made me this sled for Christmas last year. (Free plans HERE)

I shared the process on Instagram, but for the planter I started with a plastic pot of dead flowers and left the potting soil inside. I plopped it into a galvanized bucket and shoved russian sage branches in the center. Then I collected some greens from trees around the property to fill it in. For more color contrast I added some lavender stems from my herb garden. It still needed something so I stuck a few plastic snowflakes on it.

free winter planter made with greens and flower trimmings

Last fall my daughter and I made a “weed wreath.” The base was made of willow branches wrapped in a circle. I ripped all of the dried, fall foliage out and we added greens, berries, and lavender to make a Christmas wreath. My 10yo and I did this in the cold and dark with only a headlamp for light, so considering that it is not too bad. To make it more wintry now I just added some of those cheap, plastic snowflakes.

winter wreath made with gathered greens by a 10yo

I stuck some branches in my rusty milk can, but I only had a few plastic snowflakes left. To add more white I used a foam brush to paint some “snow” on the branches. The wire angel I have had for years. I added another galvanized bucket (from a wedding where my girls were flower girls) with greens. My husband made the little snowman with leftover concrete many years ago. It makes me smile, even if his hat is missing.

So, that is my “rustic” winter decor this year. I will add some Valentine decor soon, but adding just a few simple winter touches (especially those excessive battery operated candles) made it a little more cozy after the Christmas decor was put away. It isn’t Pinterest perfect, but I am trying to create a home that blesses my family by making the best out of what we have.

If you want to see what I have done in the past…