Minneapolis Winter Patio Inspirations

It can be difficult to find inspiration with regards to our patios and porches once winter hits. Getting the whole family involved in a DIY project can be both a mood booster as well as a productive way to use some of that pent-up energy we all feel during the winter months. 

If you have a garage or workroom with ventilation, try giving your wooden patio furniture or picnic table a facelift with a new coat of paint. In the summer, we’re so busy utilizing these things that we often forget they need some love too. Pick out a color or two that will go with your overall feel (imagine coordinating your furniture with the flower gardens come spring for example) and grab a paintbrush! Let the kids take a turn sanding and painting or let them help select the new colors to get everyone involved in the exciting transformation.

Explore your own backyard or head to one of the many local trails or paths and collect a few items to decorate with while you get in your steps! Nature is filled with lovely options to add to your winter arrangements. From birch branches and pine boughs to red kinnikinnick and various berries, take inspiration from the crisp, natural world and make a decorative basket for your porch with your bounty. Or have the kids collect pine cones and make a wreath for your front door. Here’s an easy DIY tutorial if you’re excited to try it out but are looking for a little guidance on wreath-making. If nature hikes aren’t your favorite, there are plenty of stores that sell beautiful winter boughs and branches too! Many patios and porches sit bare through the winter, but yours doesn’t need to be one of them. Just putting out a few flannel blankets and other wintery decorations that will bring a smile to your face when you see them can be a mood booster. 

Have a winter cookout! It might sound crazy, but if you bundle up and head out to the fire pit (if only for hot cocoa and s’mores) you are doing something a little bit spontaneous and are utilizing your outdoor space to the fullest. Hang a few solar lights from the arbor and settle in with your blankets and a glass of wine. Cooking shish kabobs over an open flame is the kind of thing that breaks up a mundane winter week and leaves a lasting memory. So bundle up and enjoy your patio area before the snow arrives!