Like most of the US, it’s been bitter cold here with temperatures hovering in the single digits and ‘teens…brrrr!
Ideal weather to stay indoors and do some winter nesting!
I always feel a little blue after the tree comes down and miss the soft glow of the twinkling lights after Christmas. Last year, I decided to leave the tree up through mid February, transforming it into a Winter Nesting Tree.
We enjoyed the lights and sparkle of the tree so much that I decided to do it again this year. It helps make the transition from Christmas to winter easier and makes the house a little brighter and cozier.
I packed up all the Santamobiles and removed all the Christmas red and green. . .
Bird ornaments that normally flock to my Potting Shed in December migrated to the tree. . .
A few new nests were added since last year, with snowy white eggs. . .
Snowflakes, icy branches, glittery nests, pinecones, along with the bird ornaments, add some winter nesting details on the tree.
I found some snowy white sparkling bands of ribbon at Hobby Lobby in December for 50% off to add to the tree.
Snowflake ornaments add a little sparkle for a gray and dreary month. . .
And glittery nests make for a sparkling habitat for the birds. . .
I’ve added a few owls to my ‘parliament’ over the years, to help me celebrate with a Happy Owl-idays table.
I found more icy branches to add to the tree at Michaels last week on clearance at 80% off.
We’re on a warming trend this week but under a winter weather advisory today.
While I wouldn’t mind seeing some snow flakes, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t have any ice accumulation.
Hope you’re staying warm and cozy in your nest!
Love this idea! All the birds are beautiful. Thank you for sharing!
The winter nesting tree is beautiful. I also have a passion for anything birds!
Gorgeous!!!
I love this idea!! If I had my way I would have a tree up all year , decorated for different months!!
What a perfect way to transition from Christmas to winter!
Beautiful! What a great idea!
Hello, I’m a new subscriber to your site (would link from BNOTP) and I am enjoying your posts! I have to admit that I am NOT a sparkly person – glitter is my number one enemy :). But I love your tree – beautiful and elegant, just what we need for this blah month. Thanks for all your wonderful ideas!
What a fabulous idea! Certainly brightens up the cold Winter days!
Loved the fact that many items were over 50% off as well.
What a great idea!!! I love all the bird ornaments!!!! Beautiful!
Beautiful. Love the idea. Wish you put a picture of the full tree.
I really like this idea. I think I will start collecting some winter but not holiday items so I can have “winter” tree next year. I’m always sad when I take the tree down and this way I can enjoy it a lot longer. Thanks for sharing.
Love, love your tree!! I have a tall alpine tree that I did the same thing to, minus the beautiful birds. Thanks for sharing your lovely tree. Stay warm!
I have left winter greens and outdoor-themed ornaments up for years, along with similar sparkly candle decor around the room. I love candles glowing in the dark evenings of winter and transition around Valentine’s Day, when the days are longer, and I am ready for a little more color and a few hearts tucked around. The longer days of February gear me up for spring cleaning. But, only after I truly do embrace the beauty of winter. No complaints about it. Your lovely tree convinces anyone of winter’s beauty! ;-). Happy January!
One of my favorite things to decorate my tree with is white doves and cardinals. What a great idea to put away the cardinals and keep my sweet doves for a little longer and to add some nests. Love your tree 😍. Happy Monday, Mary.
Very pretty Mary! Isn’t it fun, enjoying the lights a bit longer since January is so dark and dreary. Gives the house more warmth and cheer. I love my bird tree which stays up all year and gets touches of whatever season we are moving into. For Valentine’s, I sprinkle a few lacy hearts in the branches, St. Patrick’s it gets a green Derby hat for the top branch, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, some Dollar Store small flags spread throughout the tree and for Fall, leaves, and Turkey and Pheasant feathers. I love it! Stay warm in your nest!
Your winter tree is beautiful. Of course, I love all the bird ornaments. The new ribbon and picks are great new touches, too. Logistically, though, with the way I organize my current Christmas decor, leaving parts out like this would necessitate a whole new reorg for me. Maybe if and when I purge, I can manage that. I have one tiny vignette of deer and little lights on my DR table left, but that’s only because they were late additions in Dec, and I don’t have a place yet to store them permanently, lol.
Mary, your tree is so beautiful, it is so full and looks like a real evergreen. I am looking for a new artificial tree, the ones I have had in the past have not held up. Could you share with me the company from where you purchased your. I love all of the glitter and the birds and the idea of a winter nesting tree.
Thank you Lynn! Our tree is a Balsam Hill Fraser Fir™ Narrow Tree | 7′ High | Narrow 48″ Wide | Clear w/ Easy Plug Lights purchased several years ago.
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch ordered one this year and was very unhappy with hers so you might want to read her post.
That is an absolutely grand idea! And picking up items at the post holiday sales is an added bonus. It is a bleak, dark morning here in Clemson, SC, and I really miss the glow of my tree. Would love to see a full shot picture of your tree. Stay warm!
Thank you Roxanne! Unfortunately, I have a crop-sensor DSLR camera that has a tight field of view and have to use my 50mm lens for low light indoors, so I can’t get a full length photo of the tree.
That tree has to be amazing when the sun hits it!! Just luv it!! franki
Awesome….I live in the country and several years ago started with a woodland animal tree. It has more birds than any other animal..love your touch of sparkle! Will incorporate that next year! Thank you for the inspiration!
Love the winter tree! Taking down the Christmas decorations is never something I look forward to and this is a great way to enjoy a little bit longer! Just beautiful!
Oh so sorry we don’t help! Give those cute pups a hug for us. Hope to see you soon. ♥
The only thing better than last year’s Winter Nesting Tree is this year’s Winter Nesting Tree! Revisiting this tree is a fantabulous idea and the additions are gorgeous…finding them on sale/clearance is stupendous! To say your tree is beautiful does not begin to do it justice. I would love to do this, however my poor “fresh” tree had become a pile of needles and bare branches. Thank-you for sharing this lovely post.
Mary, your winter nesting tree is just beautiful. The new additions add more sparkle. We have had a little freezing rain overnight and this morning, not serious. Hopefully it won’t be bad for you! Stay warm
It is a beautiful tree and I love the idea of a nesting tree after Christmas.
How fun
What a treat to check out your post this morning and see your delightfully dazzling tree…just as I was finishing up my cuppa tea and being entertained watching all our birds feasting at our feeders! I was thinking of Tasha Tudor because we have a visiting hermit thrush!!! Stay warm and thank you for your bountiful creativity that you share with us all!!! We are supposed to have a much welcomed warm up here on the coast today!
Oh my you are my inspiration … I have not wanted to take my tree down and this is a wonderful idea I will have to start collecting for my winter tree Thank you for sharing and giving us inspiration to leave our tree up for the one’s that love the twinkle of the lights
Your photography is beautiful, may we have a wider look at the tree? I always like to see your scenes in totality.
Hi Dot, I have a crop-sensor DSLR camera that has a tight field of view and I had to use my 50mm lens for low light indoors, so I couldn’t get a full length view of the tree.
Love, love his!
I am so in love with your nesting tree! Love all the nests, birds and all that sparkle! Thank you for sharing and once again brightening my day!
You have got such a wonderful imagination dear Mary, how lovely your tree, all the different birds, sparkling and beautiful. Your blog entry was a little oasis for me today and I thoroughly enjoyed it and got inspiration from it too. Thank you.
Love your nesting tree! What a great idea! I too would love some sort of tree to decorate for the many holidays, not just Christmas. Love your sparkly birds and nests. I’m going to make some for next year. You inspire me!
Norfolk Island Pines are just the thing. I almost always had one in my home while living in Ohio. The last 20 years I haven’t seen any until this past season where I spitted them at my local grocery store in the floral department here in Salt Lake CIty.
I bought one 4 foot tree for $20 and 10 small trees at $4 to use as gifts for friends spending Christmas in the hospital and for our annual ‘Neighbor Gifts’ and they were a huge hit.
I had one once that outgrew my ceiling so I took it to my workplace which had higher ceilings and when I moved across the country I left it behind. I imagine they are available through house plant companies.
What a lovely tree! I love the white snowy owls best. Great idea!
OOOOOOOOOOOO so burrrrrrrry beautiful. Stay warm inside your winter wonderland.
So pretty Mary! I love your collection of pretty feathered friends! We are leaving our coastal Christmas tree up through Valentine’s Day, my husband just loves it! I added some sliver snowflakes today and plan on adding Valentine and Mardi Gras ornaments in the next few weeks. Nothing like a sparkling tree to warm and brighten gloomy winter days and nights!
Jenna
How absolutely beautiful!
I love the tree with all the birds. Very beautiful.
Marion
Mary the tree is lovely. We had freezing temperatures for the last three weeks. Should warm up this week.
Marilyn
Very pretty. All of the birds are so life like. Hope you don’t receive any ice. Last week we had 8 inches of snow with gusty winds. Not much has melted. Hopefully this week we will see some melting.
Joan
I have two alpine trees (artificial) that I keep up through the rest of the winter. I decorate with snowflakes, birds, pinecones and other white embellishments and the amber glow from the lights keep the house cozy and warm until we are blessed with spring. I love “Home is Where the Boat Is” and all of your creative, beautiful ideas. You are such an inspiration and have given me creative ideas for my potting shed and home. Blessings for a wonderful New Year – stay warm
Your tree looks very cozy Mary! I love the ice decorations and whites, I even picked up some frosted white poinsettia branches and put them out after Christmas myself. Just got home, we left work early because an ice storm is just starting here… ugh. Stay warm:@)
Hi Lynn, I think of you every time I pull out my sweet chickadee! Our ice event fizzled out for which I am grateful. Hope yours melts away and is less severe than expected! ❄️
Love the way you keep the sparkle of winter after all the Christmas decor is removed. I’ve had a hard time removing all the sparkle this year. This gives me a great idea for next year! You have a beautiful blog.
What a lovely idea!Bravo!
I love this idea. You have so many adorable bird ornaments. I say keep the sparkle of Christmas going as long as you can!
Absolutely stunning!! I too do a few Winter Trees but I have just started to take down Christmas…. Love all the birds!!
Hugs,
Deb
WE got the ice today and it is slippery out there! But hopefully it melts fast. I just LOVE this idea and added it to my list that I am am making for next years Christmas. I hate taking the tree down too and miss the lights and sparkle. This is just the thing I need to do! Have a beautiful week. We are supposed to get to 60 by Fri.!!!!!!!!!!! It is amazing!!!
Just love it!!!!!
I wish you showed a full tree picture! The little teaser pictures are beautiful!!!
Love, love, love the earthy tones and the nod to Mother Nature! Thanks for the Pinspriation of two decorating themes over the months, the first being the reds and plaids for Christmas followed by the transition earth-tones. I’ve generally split the color scheme between the family room (red and plaid with Santa items) with the formal living room (earth tones with more animals) but like your idea. And that ribbon you found at Hobby Lobby is perfect!
I forgot to say a huge thanks for the pictures of your tablescape with the cars as the center pieces. My husband loves vintage cars and I’ll be surprising him next Christmas with a new car-themed holiday table. I’m even planning to buy a lovely piece for my neighbor across the street who is not only an avid car collector, but also the world’s best neighbor.
I’m currently stumped for Valentine’s Day decorating so I’m looking forward to your upcoming posts.
Cheers to a wonderful 2018!
Love, love the tree! My favorite ornament is the pine cone with the little white owl sitting inside..I’ll have to look for more bird ornaments. I too wish you could show the whole tree but I seen your posts about how you cannot..if you find a way, please post the entire tree. Maybe you could take a regular picture and post it on Facebook..anyway, stay warm and cozy….🎄❄️🦉
I keep a small tree up in my kitchen year ‘round and decorate by the season. I start off after Christmas with snowmen, move to birds, hearts for February, little kites in March, on and on. Sea shell ornaments in the summer are some of my favorites. The ideas are limitless.
With all of the food related ornaments on the market a kitchen tree keeps the mood moving forward.
I love your site and all that you share.
Thank you!
Beautiful, Mary. I love how you don’t rush the seasons and enjoy winter to the full. This is a really creative way to get the absolute most out of the tree. :)
Bonjour, Les oiseaux sont magnifiques et les rubans également….C’est un hiver très féérique ! Bravo à vous Mary…Vous êtes une fée ?
Catherine
I love this idea, so (fair warning) I plan to steal this it for the holiday-let-down season in 2019. I don’t have a parliament of owls, but I do have a flamboyance of flamingos. (Although, I will probably not use them for my winter tree. Too flamboyant!). Love the post and the idea. I hope you are enjoying today’s mild weather before the rain and cold begin again.
Very beautiful! I have quite a collection of snowy ornaments. Although we’ve put the tree away I have filled bowls and feeders with them. I passed up some white snowy owls at the thrift store today. Regretting it a little now. :)
hugs,
Jann
Thank you
Beautiful. Love this idea!!
What a beautiful tree, dear Mary! I must remember to do this next year. I’m one that just loves the sparkle and shine from the tree. I have a friend that keeps her tree up year round and changes it out for the seasons.
Mary, thank you for posting this again..and I see you found a way to show the entire tree..it’s just gorgeous…❤️❤️❤️
Mary,awesome! You inspire us all!❤️
A delightful idea, Mary. I’m obviously late seeing this pretty tree. I’m glad you put the link in today’s post for your romantic table.
BEYOND gorgeous!
I’ve always wanted to leave a tree up all year. Never been able to aconplish that lol due to hubs. THIS year he did’nt pitch a fit..I can have one on the front porch…thanks for inspiring me.
Your tree is gorgeous! I am a bird lover and have many of the same ornaments. I could never hope to have such a spectacular tree though. You are an inspiration. Thank you!