If humans take a cue from nature, we could improve the world — and our designs.

Murmuration Chandelier from Harvey & John on Vimeo.

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We have all heard that proverb “it’s always darkest before the dawn,” and that is never truer than on the Winter Solstice. Celebrate the Solstice and the return of sun’s light with these simple ideas.

The Winter Solstice is an astronomical phenomenon resulting from the Earth’s tilt away from the sun that marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on December 21st each year.

While during this time of year many of us are caught up in the preparations for the various winter holidays, it’s important to remember that the celebration of the Winter Solstice is the original winter holiday. Many of the world’s cultural and religious traditions incorporated the marking of the Winter Solstice in one way or another into their celebration. To humans, both past and present, it’s been only natural to mark the day on which things seem the bleakest and darkest and to herald a return of the light. The Winter Solstice is a reminder of the awesome power of the natural world and a chance for us all to feel awed in the face of that power.

No matter your current status–whether secular, religious, or culturally religious–the Solstice is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. It is a time to unwind, de-stress, be joyful, and to appreciate the remarkable beauty that the natural world has to offer.

While some cultural and religious traditions do celebrate the Solstice in a more official capacity, you can do whatever the hell you want to mark the occasion. We offer up some suggestions, though, in case you are overwhelmed by the busy demands of the season.

6 Perfectly Lovely Ideas for Celebrating the Winter Solstice

1. Make a point to catch the Solstice sunrise and/or sunset. Not only is the rising and setting sun a stunning sight to behold during December, but watching the setting and rising sun is wonderful way to reconnect with nature.

2. Plan a bonfire. Whether you can pull off a massive bonfire or just a small backyard chiminea fire, it makes no matter. Communing with family and friends around a fire in the middle of winter is an ideal way to relax and to mark the long Solstice night.

3. Take a hike in the woods. Honor the Solstice and yourself by taking a walk in the woods. Walking in nature is the perfect time and place to reflect back on your year and to plan for the future.

4. Drink mulled wine. There is no explanation needed for this suggestion. Mulled wine is just a good idea on any cold winter’s night. It’s as simple as that. On the other hand, if you are avoiding alcohol, hot spiced cider will also do the trick.

5. Throw a dinner party–by candlelight. Honor the longest night of the year by having friends over for a meal by candlelight. Candlelight provides for an enjoyable atmosphere by which to mingle with friends and it also helps to draw attention to the darkness and lightness theme for the day.

6. Make a big pot of soup. Nourish yourself and loved ones by making a hearty pot of soup. Making and eating soup with friends is a great way to feed yourself both inside and out. And what a wonderful way to honor the day!

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Turn your home into a nature lover’s paradise with home decor ideas inspired by real-life botanicals.

If you are a plant lover and want to keep the beauty of outdoor botanicals alive all year round (and aren’t loaded enough to have an indoor conservancy) get inspired to add botanicals to your home decor. From ferns to poppies, and everything in between, botanicals make for great inspiration. Moreover, it’s super easy to add botanicals to your space by adding wall prints, patterns, DIY projects and more.

Get cracking to make your home a botanical-inspired oasis regardless of the season–and no matter whether you have a green thumb or not.

Add Botanicals to Your Home Decor

1. Wall Art – One easy way to add any decor style to your home is with wall art. Whether you rent or own, wall art is always doable. You can buy wall art, like this print from Brainstorm Print & Goods, or DIY your own. Whatever suits your budget and your style.

2. Wallpaper – If you are looking to make a more substantial change, consider adding botanical-themed wallpaper. Of course, some botanical wallpapers might be overwhelming in smaller spaces, so consider wallpapering an accent wall, or even using wallpaper to decoupage a piece of furniture. We love this mural wallpaper from Anthropologie.

3. Floor Coverings – And don’t forget about the floor. Either painting an old wood floor in need of love or by making your own DIY floor covering, the floor is often overlooked area in design and decor. Here is a great tutorial for making a stylish floor covering using one of IKEA’s fabrics and a dropcloth.

4. Make Your Own Curtains – If you are into more DIY, consider making your own curtains utilizing a botanical print like this print available at Spoonflower, Here’s a how-to for making no-sew handmade curtain panels.

5. Dried Flower Mobile – Bring the outside in by drying your favorite flowers and other botanicals to make a DIY wall hanging or mobile. Use wood branches sourced from your yard as the base and hang dried flowers, dried ferns, and other dried botanicals from string to create an attractive wall hanging.

6. Stencils – Stencils are another fabulous DIY solution for adding botanical prints to your home. You can stencil a pattern on your walls, like this birch tree pattern from JBoutique Stencils, or add patterns to furniture, floors, rugs, curtains, and more.

7. Succulents – Of course, the best way to decorate with botanicals is with actual botanicals. Succulents are a wonderful blend of botanical beauty and easy to grow. They require very little water and are the ideal plants for those who don’t have a green thumb. A terrarium is a lovely way to incorporate succulents into your space. Learn how to DIY your own terrarium or buy one already made like this one from The Zen Succulent.

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We all know that every snowflake is unique, but do you know how they get that way? Science! Well, not really, but kind of.

In the video below, courtesy of Reactions, viewers get a crash course on how snowflakes are born. It’s quite cool and pretty, and worth the 3 minutes it takes the watch.

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If you’ve ever taken a walk around the neighborhood midway through the workday and then noticed you were more efficient once you sat back down to the computer screen, the fresh air may be at least part of the reason why. New research shows that mother nature makes all the difference in the world when it comes to improving brain function and work performance.

A recent study, published in the journal Environmental Psychology, showed that interrupting tedious tasks with 40-second microbreaks, in which participants looked at a computerized image of a green roof, improved brain function. The task used in the study, which was called the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART), asked participants to look at a series of numbers rapidly popping up on the screen. As part of the task, participants pressed the corresponding number on their keyboards, except for the number 3.

According to The Washington Post:

In the current study, students had to complete the SART task not once, but twice. However, they received a 40-second “microbreak” in between the two trials. During that break, their computer screens flashed either to a digital image of a city building roof covered in concrete, or one covered with grass and flowers. Then, they completed the remainder of the SART trial.

Students that looked at the green roof reported feeling more restored and had better brain function. Specifically, those that looked at the green roof had less fluctuation in response time and made fewer mistakes.

“Viewing different types of nature (parks and forests) can also boost attention, research shows,” lead study author Kate Lee of the University of Melbourne said by e-mail, reported by The Washington Post. “Based on this we would hypothesize that other types of urban greening that show similar vegetation characteristics to those studied previously may also boost attention.”

Another study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that nature walks are good for your brain. Study participants who walked through the lush green portion of Stanford’s campus were more attentive and happier than those that took a stroll near heavy traffic.

According to The New York Times:

[T]he scientists randomly assigned half of the volunteers to walk for 90 minutes through a leafy, quiet, parklike portion of the Stanford campus or next to a loud, hectic, multi-lane highway in Palo Alto. The volunteers were not allowed to have companions or listen to music. They were allowed to walk at their own pace.

Immediately after the nature walks, participants filled out questionnaires and took brain scans. Volunteers who walked in green spaces were less likely to dwell on the negative aspects of their lives than those who walked through traffic. Researchers were specifically studying brooding, or the mind’s unfortunate ability to dwell and chew on negative life events. Brooding, according to the researchers, commonly leads to depression.

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Want to take the best anti-anxiety drug ever? Just head outside.

Prescription commercials are annoying. That’s why we’re really happy that Nature Rx made fun of the prescription selling formula by selling something we really believe in: the awesomeness of nature.

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President Obama has been killing it lately. The President has been visiting a lot of notable people for interviews over the past few weeks. Most recently, he spoke with David Attenborough.

The video below has a five minute snippet of the duo’s conversation (you can watch the full special from BBC here). During the special, Attenborough and Obama discuss the planet, climate change, and nature.

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As a long time maker and lover of nature, I often find myself making art and nature crafts from treasures I find in the wild. The flotsam and jetsam of my backyard are some of most inspiring mediums to me. Pieces of bark, dried leaves, fresh mosh, stones, acorns, dried herbs, and more all call out to incorporate them into DIY and arts and crafts ideas.

Inspired by my own desire to create and companies, sites and individuals like Spiritual Kindling, Juniper Ridge, Margaret of Resurrection Fern, John Muir and so many others, I put together a list of nature-inspired DIY arts and crafts ideas that you can create to add your own brand of nature, design and spirituality to your space.

15 Ideas for Nature Crafts 

1. Painted Pebbles – Decorate your stone collection with a paint or a sharpie.
2. Kindling Wall Hanging – Turn kindling into a spiritual and decorative wall hanging.
3. Tabletop Biosphere – Make and tame your own mini biosphere for a taste of nature indoors.
4. Branch Candelabra – Decorate your next dinner party with some wild abandon.
5. Rainbow Painted Stick Wind Chimes – Create a visual and auditory homage to nature.
6. Painted Stick Love – Turn sticks into a lovely work of art to show that love is all that matters.
7. Painted Stick Mobile – Let your creativity drive you to create a painted stick mobile.
8. Stick Stars – Turn brush into celestial art to decorate your own starry night.
9. Branch and Textile Mobile – Use a branch, yarn and other textiles that speak to you into a hanging mobile.
10. Evergreen Paintbrushes – What a clever idea–use evergreen cuttings as paintbrushes for your next painting project.
11. Branch Weaving – Branches can be used as a loom to create colorful textiles.
12. Branch Wall Art/Room Divider – A practical and decorative natural touch.
13. Flower Petal Sketches – Use flower petals in your next sketches for the ultimate in creativity.
14. Hanging Dried Flower Art – Create a hanging “garden” with dried flowers.
15. Garden Mandalas – Turn leaves, flowers and other natural bits into decorative mandalas.

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If you have ever worried about Mother Nature and her fate, you can stop worrying. She’s got it covered.

That’s the basic message of this powerful video. Now, while Mother Nature might not need people, people really, really need Mother Nature. To witness some of Mother Nature’s most majestic creations (and to hear her kick-ass message delivered by Julia Roberts), watch the video below.

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Use nature to decorate your space with these gorgeous DIY projects.

Spring is an amazing time of year to combine two of my favorite things–nature and DIY.  My husband and I like to take walks at the local nature reserve near our home. We also like to garden and spend time out in our yard. I always pick up little items from my time in the yard and at the park–it’s a habit from childhood. I do it almost absentmindedly. When I come inside from being out in nature, I discover I’ve got quite a collection of natural souvenirs. These souvenirs might include a mini-pinecone, a gingko leaf and a bit of fern leaf in my pockets. Since I’m also a pretty crafty person, I often try to come up with clever DIY projects for which I can use these natural treasures to decorate my home.

There is something about nature that inspires my creative side and using natural objects as a medium in my DIY projects seems like a no-brainer for me. From the simple to the more complex, using some of my natural discoveries in DIY projects to decorate my home is a way to create a warm and inviting space and document some of my favorite outdoor adventures. You can get in on the fun too with these DIY projects. Use them as inspiration or follow the tutorials instruction by instruction to bring nature into your home.

From the backyard to your more far flung nature adventures, collect, preserve and incorporate nature into your home decor.

25 Made-from-Nature DIY Projects for Your Home

1. Indoor Succulent Gardens
2. Branch Candle Holders
3. Crochet Covered Stones
4. Painted Stick Wall Art
5. Dried Flower Garland
6. Tabletop Biosphere
7. DIY Log Slice with Vase
8. Tree Stump End Table
9. Leaf Painted Wall Art
10. 6 Ways to Decorate with Rocks
11. Lighted Branches Wall Art
12. Painted Fall Leaves
13. Tree Branch Curtain Rod
14. Pinecone Flowers
15. Branch Weaving
16. Moss Terrarium
17. Bark Owls
18. Natural Branch Coasters
19. DIY Wood Texture Stamps
20. Seashell Beeswax Candles
21. DIY Veggie Stamps
22. DIY Dreamcatcher
23. Twig Coat Rack
24. Living Moss Coffee Table Idea
25. Spring Nature Frame

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